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
But over time and through crises such as the Great Depression and Great Recession, the Fed was gradually ceded more oversight over the nation’s banks.
—
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
News aficionados have given up subscriptions to mainstream publications like The Washington Post in recent months when they are perceived to cede authority or placate those in power.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
In splurging on Harbaugh, Dean and John Spanos surely also ceded him more power.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The goal would be to build a common technology ecosystem, linked to other allies, to ensure the United States and fellow democracies do not cede the innovation edge to competitors such as China.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
News aficionados have given up subscriptions to mainstream publications like The Washington Post in recent months when they are perceived to cede authority or placate those in power.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
In splurging on Harbaugh, Dean and John Spanos surely also ceded him more power.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The goal would be to build a common technology ecosystem, linked to other allies, to ensure the United States and fellow democracies do not cede the innovation edge to competitors such as China.
—Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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In May 2025, Kraft Heinz announced a strategic review aimed at unlocking shareholder value, and Berkshire Hathaway relinquished its board seats, signaling potential structural changes.—
Joe Cornell,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shortly after Rose took the helm at the pageant, both Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquished their titles.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His initial mentality is to be efficient while getting the necessary outs that are assigned.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
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As Oracle matures from a high-growth story to a large-cap dividend play, the market might assign lower multiples than our 40x assumption, particularly if interest rates remain elevated.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
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This isn't about abdicating responsibility.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
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After allowing 18 chunk plays against Appalachian State, Charlotte surrendered just eight on Saturday night.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Given the apparent emergency, Tejasvi’s grandfather was prepared to transfer the funds—but her father urged him not to and the grandfather, at the suggestion of his wife, then called the uncle to see if the request was legitimate.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
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Strategic planning for business owners is based first on strategic thinking, parallel thinking, and transferring natural human applications to our corporate concerns.—
Ken Polk,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Elizondo resigned and went public in October 2017 after 10 years of running a Pentagon program to investigate UFO sightings.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Along with Monarez, the committee will hear from Debra Houry, the former chief medical officer for the CDC, who resigned—alongside two other high-ranking CDC leaders—upon Monarez's ouster.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Here, Ne Zha 2 succeeds wildly; locales such as a heavenly city made entirely of jade and a towering, bamboo-verdant waterfall are rendered with genuinely beautiful texture and detail.—
Derek Robertson,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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All rendered by paleolithic artists using charcoal and red ochre.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The warm welcome Putin received in China, coupled with the military and diplomatic might on display during the summit and the military parade, was designed to convey a message.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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These artists no doubt saw themselves in the plucky perspective that Swift’s lyrics conveyed.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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