1
as in relinquishing
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 transferring
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 abdicating
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 ceding
Critics questioned whether the company was selling out by ceding to OpenAI so quickly.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Jackson stepped down as president of Rainbow/PUSH in 2023, ceding the reins to a Dallas pastor who left less than a year later.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Even his 15-minute cameo during the uplifting 2-1 victory at Tottenham on Tuesday was poor, with the 25-year-old repeatedly ceding possession when Newcastle just needed to see the game out.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Stalin invaded in November of 1939, expecting a quick takeover, but the Finns inflicted many times more casualties on the Soviets before eventually ceding 11 percent of their territory and partial control over their foreign affairs.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Maybe these choices aren’t driven by a fear of ceding audience attention to TikTok so much as by fear of letting a taut story go slack.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
Legislatures may operate while steadily ceding authority.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
By that measure, ceding the oil industry to the United States at least holds the promise of importing industrial know-how with some financial benefit for the country.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
In 2020, Klobuchar launched a brief bid to be her party's presidential nominee, eventually ceding to President Biden.
—Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Jackson stepped down as president of Rainbow/PUSH in 2023, ceding the reins to a Dallas pastor who left less than a year later.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Even his 15-minute cameo during the uplifting 2-1 victory at Tottenham on Tuesday was poor, with the 25-year-old repeatedly ceding possession when Newcastle just needed to see the game out.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Stalin invaded in November of 1939, expecting a quick takeover, but the Finns inflicted many times more casualties on the Soviets before eventually ceding 11 percent of their territory and partial control over their foreign affairs.
—Boris Fishman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Maybe these choices aren’t driven by a fear of ceding audience attention to TikTok so much as by fear of letting a taut story go slack.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Feb. 2026
Legislatures may operate while steadily ceding authority.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
By that measure, ceding the oil industry to the United States at least holds the promise of importing industrial know-how with some financial benefit for the country.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
In 2020, Klobuchar launched a brief bid to be her party's presidential nominee, eventually ceding to President Biden.
—Stephen Swanson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ceding
Verb
-
Payton relinquishing the duties deserves praise.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Riley was the head coach and team president for the Heat’s first NBA championship in 2006 before relinquishing those duties to Erik Spoelstra in 2008.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Iowa could get rid of townships as a unit of government and eliminate their boards of trustees, transferring their local authority to their respective counties.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Staff cleans up the sand that blows throughout the season to prevent winds from transferring it onto Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system.—
ELIZABETH ECONOMY,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Dec. 2025
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After all, Perfidia explodes other archetypes, too—for instance, abdicating her roles as a mother and romantic partner to continue her work.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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No one needs to stoically, passively wait for whatever life might add or subtract, surrendering free will to fate without fighting back.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
24 Feb. 2026
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Tensions began mounting over the former couple’s association with Epstein in the fall, with both surrendering their respective Duke and Duchess of York titles in October 2025.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To address that dilemma, the pediatric hospital implemented literacy screenings in about half of its 13 clinics, assigning a literacy coordinator to each.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
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To address that dilemma, the pediatric hospital implemented literacy screenings in about half of its 13 clinics, assigning a literacy coordinator to each.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The fans never got an opportunity to give a grateful goodbye, Pat Riley resigning on an early summer afternoon 36 years ago after the end of a lost season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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The federal prosecutor’s office in Minnesota has been gutted by a wave of career officials resigning or retiring over objections to Trump administration directives.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If pre-emergent is applied too early, the herbicide may break down before the weed seeds start to germinate, rendering your efforts futile.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
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In October, King Charles stripped Andrew of all of his royal titles and privileges, rendering him a commoner.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Effectively, Newsom’s slow roll protects him from taking any meaningful actions, thus bequeathing reparations to his successor, like his many other unresolved California issues.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
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Rewriting society’s decision-making Unlike biased pundits who hem, haw and hedge their bets, Web3 prediction markets cut through noise, bequeathing a signal that feeds into pricing mechanisms themselves.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ceding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ceding. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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