1
as in admitting
to accept the truth or existence of (something) usually reluctantly
she grudgingly conceded his point
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in succumbing
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
he conceded as soon as it became clear that he could not win
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conceding
And the data made for bleak reading given Liverpool’s slow starts and habit of conceding damaging late goals, which pointed to issues with both fitness and mentality.
—
James Pearce, New York Times, 1 June 2026
With more than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson pulled his starters, effectively conceding the series as the Knicks turned the final minutes into a celebration.
—Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
In the pain and promise of conceding to the fact that so much is still possible for this world and its people, no matter how grim the prognosis.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026
Brazil’s national soccer team conceding in waves against Germany as the 2014 World Cup semifinal unravelled during a 7-1 loss.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
England, after conceding nine tries in its previous two matches, restricted the best defensive team to four tries, two by Bourdon Sansus, and Jones was proud.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Switzerland is the only country in World Cup history to be knocked out of the tournament without conceding a goal or losing a match.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Everyone in the Democrat Party in Illinois was conceding the race to Republican Attorney General Jack Ryan.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Though that sentence could also have stopped after four words, the statistics really are bad — conceding around one goal every 10 corners faced.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
James Pearce, New York Times, 1 June 2026
With more than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson pulled his starters, effectively conceding the series as the Knicks turned the final minutes into a celebration.
—Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026
In the pain and promise of conceding to the fact that so much is still possible for this world and its people, no matter how grim the prognosis.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026
Brazil’s national soccer team conceding in waves against Germany as the 2014 World Cup semifinal unravelled during a 7-1 loss.
—Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 18 May 2026
England, after conceding nine tries in its previous two matches, restricted the best defensive team to four tries, two by Bourdon Sansus, and Jones was proud.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Switzerland is the only country in World Cup history to be knocked out of the tournament without conceding a goal or losing a match.
—Tushaar Kuthiala, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
Everyone in the Democrat Party in Illinois was conceding the race to Republican Attorney General Jack Ryan.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
Though that sentence could also have stopped after four words, the statistics really are bad — conceding around one goal every 10 corners faced.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceding
Verb
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Prospective jurors also expressed concerns about fairness, with some admitting that media coverage and the defendant's background could influence their judgment.—
CBS Texas Staff,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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The restaurant must now post a public disclaimer admitting past false sustainability and sourcing claims.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs got off just three field goal attempts while succumbing to the Knicks’ defensive pressure.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
4 June 2026
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Avoid succumbing to a conspiracy theory or problematic spiritual philosophy as Mercury and Neptune square off.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Over at JoAnne and Gary's, Orson is confessing to his stepdad about stealing his mom's gun.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
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Globally, data shows young men are comfortable confessing to AI chatbots.—
Ashoka,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
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After Saturday night’s 4-3 loss to the Phillies – a defeat that happened in large part because reliever Tanner Scott reverted to some old, bad habits in surrendering a 3-1 lead in the eighth – Yamamoto understood Sunday’s assignment.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
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Your choice Remember, there’s a big difference between offering someone a small gift and surrendering to the other person’s demand.—
Attia Qureshi,
Time,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The season is also acknowledging America’s 250th anniversary and celebrating those artists, musicians and composers alike who came from far away and chose to become American citizens and make their creative home here in this country.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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In opting to lease its compute capacity to Anthropic, SpaceX was acknowledging that its own AI models and services haven’t inspired great demand and that the company isn’t in a position to take advantage of its costly infrastructure.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Should the center end up with 40 hours of weekly operation, staff and CRG members would be tasked with submitting a proposal on how to use the hours.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Reporting teams have held back on submitting story pitches about important news topics out of fear of the internal repercussions.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Verb
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The owner, Kenneth Howell has been locked in an acrimonious battle with the city of Boise for years, after Boise staff raised concerns over temporary shoring posts bowing under the building’s weight and a crumbling facade, among other safety issues staff highlighted.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
3 June 2026
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Target, too, recently found itself in the cultural crosshairs after bowing to external pressure to scrap its DEI policies.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceding. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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