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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
That’s what happens when the hegemon cedes hegemony.
—
Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
In this instance, the goalie cedes a lot of ice behind him to cover off a pass.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Annie gets the best monologue as Maggie but cedes the part’s biggest musical moment to Babs.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Choosing silence also cedes our right to free speech.
—Jenna Norton, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026
The specialization that cedes politics, economics or communication to separate disciplines is, in sociology, an invitation to synthesize and to consider how these broad social processes engage, reinforce or conflict with one another.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The lead-up to Kennedy’s circus of sci-fi fantasists and food bloggers provides an object lesson in how the left cedes fertile political territory to the right.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The specialization that cedes politics, economics or communication to separate disciplines is, in sociology, an invitation to synthesize and to consider how these broad social processes engage, reinforce or conflict with one another.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
In this case, Davis is more amused than embarrassed, and soon cedes the new man to Winnie.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
In this instance, the goalie cedes a lot of ice behind him to cover off a pass.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 9 May 2026
Annie gets the best monologue as Maggie but cedes the part’s biggest musical moment to Babs.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Choosing silence also cedes our right to free speech.
—Jenna Norton, STAT, 12 Mar. 2026
The specialization that cedes politics, economics or communication to separate disciplines is, in sociology, an invitation to synthesize and to consider how these broad social processes engage, reinforce or conflict with one another.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
The lead-up to Kennedy’s circus of sci-fi fantasists and food bloggers provides an object lesson in how the left cedes fertile political territory to the right.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
The specialization that cedes politics, economics or communication to separate disciplines is, in sociology, an invitation to synthesize and to consider how these broad social processes engage, reinforce or conflict with one another.
—Wendy Nelson Espeland, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
In this case, Davis is more amused than embarrassed, and soon cedes the new man to Winnie.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cedes
Verb
-
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
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The league assigns electronic devices to employees to be used for work purposes, and teams ordinarily do the same with their employees.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
4 June 2026
-
Then the team assigns a wage value to each discrete task by cross-referencing ADP’s payroll data.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
When the state abdicates its duty, the people must step in.—
William Morris,
Des Moines Register,
17 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
The ayatollahs won’t make any deal that surrenders their nuclear program.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
22 May 2026
-
Alex Murdaugh surrenders Murdaugh turned himself in at the Hampton County Detention Center.—
Marlene Lenthang,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The line conveys wastewater across Tijuana and its collapse sent excessive flows to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is designed to handle 35 million gallons per day.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
User data conveys the vast scale of interest in microcredentials – Credly, the badge platform owned by Pearson, has now issued more than 100 million digital badges, and its rival Accredible reached over 170 million by the end of 2025.—
Bryan Penprase,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
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And Evanston resident Jeff Boarini, who challenged Biss in the 2025 mayor election and lost, reaffirmed his intent to run for mayor if Biss resigns in time to spur a special election.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2026
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Lieutenant governor If the sitting governor dies, resigns or is removed from office, then the lieutenant governor would assume the role.—
Times staff,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Without revealing too much, this structure from al-Mansour and co-writer Brad Niemann ends up having a roundabout reason too, given a bizarre third-act twist that renders moot the film’s entire point of view, along with its central themes.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
8 June 2026
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The cooler itself projects a custom image onto these spinning blades, which renders them as a floating hologram that hovers above the blades, larger than their diameter.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2026
Verb
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But there’s no legal mechanism to stop a migrant from being deported to a third country, which then transfers them home.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
26 May 2026
-
In the United States, there is no federal law that automatically transfers employment.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cedes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cedes. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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