1
as in relinquishes
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 assigns
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 abdicates
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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Recent Examples of cedes
In this case, Davis is more amused than embarrassed, and soon cedes the new man to Winnie.
—
Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Zelensky doesn’t have the domestic backing necessary for a deal that cedes territory.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
The other major stumbling block is the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region, which Russia is demanding Kyiv cedes control of as a condition of the deal.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Locals refer to East River and West River, and the wetness and moisture of the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin—its thick canopy of trees, its suppleness—cedes to an aridity and expansiveness that bears its own harsh beauty.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
But at this year's Japan Mobility Show, the Delica cedes the stage to an even cooler Mitsubishi camping rig, a futuristic concept combo that expands into a multi-room base camp.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
The dramatic imagery memorializes the successful sendoff for Starship V2, which now cedes the spotlight to its even bigger successors.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Hamas asserts control Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The woody-spicy citrus scent for men uses luminous top notes of fresh ginger, bergamot and citrus (lemon petitgrain) to create a powerful sensation of freshness that quickly cedes to deeper, spicy, mineral heart notes, notably that of Timut pepper.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Zelensky doesn’t have the domestic backing necessary for a deal that cedes territory.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 28 Dec. 2025
The other major stumbling block is the future of Ukraine’s Donbas region, which Russia is demanding Kyiv cedes control of as a condition of the deal.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Locals refer to East River and West River, and the wetness and moisture of the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin—its thick canopy of trees, its suppleness—cedes to an aridity and expansiveness that bears its own harsh beauty.
—Literary Hub, 21 Nov. 2025
But at this year's Japan Mobility Show, the Delica cedes the stage to an even cooler Mitsubishi camping rig, a futuristic concept combo that expands into a multi-room base camp.
—New Atlas, 29 Oct. 2025
The dramatic imagery memorializes the successful sendoff for Starship V2, which now cedes the spotlight to its even bigger successors.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Hamas asserts control Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
The woody-spicy citrus scent for men uses luminous top notes of fresh ginger, bergamot and citrus (lemon petitgrain) to create a powerful sensation of freshness that quickly cedes to deeper, spicy, mineral heart notes, notably that of Timut pepper.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cedes
Verb
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Could this be the anarchic mind that emerges when the ego relinquishes its hold?—
Michael Pollan,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
-
If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But gradual erosion and acute crisis scenarios deserve more weight than consensus assigns them.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The group is immersed in the Husky-eat-Husky world of EA Sports’ College Football ’26, Dynasty Deep Dive, a popular video game that assigns coaches, hires and fires them, simulates recruiting and team building.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the federal government abdicates its responsibility for public health, states, localities, and communities of experts can still try to fill the void.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
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When in a turn of events, Theo abdicates from his position as Duke of Tintagel, and would therefore be divorcing Nan to be with Lizzie, Nan runs away to protect her baby, who would be the heir of Tintagel.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Peter then surrenders to Catherine, who demands his explanation for going AWOL.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby are the secret weapons, and Nora Ephron's script never surrenders to sentimentality.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
USA Today,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
None of these quite conveys his big ambitions except the Noguchi Museum itself.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Patrick Beane, a professional engineer who leads the City of Des Moines’ Clean Water Program, will now direct the WRA, which conveys and treats wastewater for more than 570,000 Iowans across 18 communities in the Des Moines metro.—
Kyle Werner,
Des Moines Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Three months later, a critical engineering group resigns together.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The law is implemented across a number of scenarios, including if the President dies or resigns while in office under Section 1 or the President themselves withdraws from the position, which can be temporarily, under Section 3.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile the grasses keep whispering, whispering about some mortal danger, the crickets shriek, and the heat renders your body all too present to itself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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That absence recalls how Black communities have been deliberately omitted from Miami’s master plans for generations, first through segregation and redlining, now through redevelopment that renders the people who lived here an inconvenient memory.—
Alexandra Martinez,
Artforum,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Using a flashback structure that details Eleanor’s life from the 1950s on, balanced against the present-day story of her two children, Black Cake transfers Wilkerson’s continent- and decades-spanning story to screen.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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In these systems, a dye molecule absorbs light and transfers the energy to a catalyst surface.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cedes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cedes. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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