1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
she reluctantly ceded her position as leader
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2
as in to assign
to give over the legal possession or ownership of
Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States as part of the settlement of the Spanish-American War
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3
as in to abdicate
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the President officially cedes his position on the January 20th immediately following the presidential election
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cede
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly has stipulated that Ukraine must cede its eastern territory, including the Luhansk and Donetsk areas.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
But given that his base continues to stand behind him — more than 8 in 10 Republicans think the country is better off than a year ago — Trump is unlikely to cede any ground in Tuesday's address.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
The camp was situated within the boundaries of the Indian reservation, a central enclave cordoned off in the years after Spain ceded the peninsula to the United States, in 1821.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The nonprofit OpenAI Foundation ceded 74% control in the company’s recent restructuring, controlling only a 26% stake in the OpenAI Group.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
But given that his base continues to stand behind him — more than 8 in 10 Republicans think the country is better off than a year ago — Trump is unlikely to cede any ground in Tuesday's address.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 23 Feb. 2026
The camp was situated within the boundaries of the Indian reservation, a central enclave cordoned off in the years after Spain ceded the peninsula to the United States, in 1821.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
The nonprofit OpenAI Foundation ceded 74% control in the company’s recent restructuring, controlling only a 26% stake in the OpenAI Group.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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But trade for both, and relinquish a first-round pick in both deals?—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
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Government has longer-term leverage Despite the shift toward commercial technology, defense leaders are unlikely to relinquish control over mission critical systems.—
Barbara Booth,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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An interview with an 8-year-old In 1995, when my daughter Sarah was about 8 years old, her school assigned the students a report on a civil rights leader for Black History Month.—
Rick Davis,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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The study authors give an example of a small bakery, calculating that if that bakery had five workers getting paid $48,000 annual salaries, a visual inspection task assigned to AI that reduced a baker’s work by 6% would save the bakery $14,000 per year.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Responsibility cannot be lost; it can only be abdicated.—
Rich Harwood,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
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That means 4 out of every 5 fellow citizens of our state abdicated their civic responsibility.—
Otis Moss III,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Colt Gray surrendered to police and has admitted to the shooting, according to authorities.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
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That’s when Netflix surrendered.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In June, his twin sons transferred to his alma mater from a Detroit prep school with hopes of making their papa proud and lifting the town’s spirit.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Whereas lithium-ion technologies are transferred from electric vehicle chemistries, Form’s tech instead focuses on heavier, less-efficient iron-air batteries that are, most notably, much cheaper than lithium-ion.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Of the 21 judges who worked at the city’s immigration court in January 2025, nine judges have resigned, taken buyouts or been terminated, a Tribune review found.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
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Jon Armstrong, the third co-founder, resigned years ago, according to court documents.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But the city could soon render all that moot and clear the way.—
Sofi Zeman
March 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
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Sun and star motifs rendered in gold enhance the gem’s night sky coloring, while the classic flower designs celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Louis Vuitton Monogram.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This means the pick will convey only if Portland makes the playoffs, giving the Bulls a clear rooting favorite in the Western Conference.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
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The manners by which stories of heroes were conveyed in antiquity were not so unlike the comic books, movies and TV shows, games, and high-profile PR events of the Marvel Universe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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