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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of conceding
In Kuwait, Marseille turned in an impressive performance and were leading PSG 2-1, before conceding a 95th-minute equaliser.
—
Tom Burrows, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Trump won reelection in 2024 without ever conceding his defeat in 2020.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
His hybrid was designed to preserve the elegance and smooth operation of electric motors while conceding the practical power and range that fuel offered.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Though Democrats’ current advantage on the generic ballot has even many Republicans conceding that the House could flip blue, the Senate is still more of a reach.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
By shielding their most profitable products while conceding selectively on pricing, manufacturers can reduce political pressure without materially sacrificing profitability.
—Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota spent much of Friday managing objections from within his conference who argued that Republicans were conceding too much to Democrats on ICE oversight.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 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
Tom Burrows, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Trump won reelection in 2024 without ever conceding his defeat in 2020.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
His hybrid was designed to preserve the elegance and smooth operation of electric motors while conceding the practical power and range that fuel offered.
—Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 5 Feb. 2026
Though Democrats’ current advantage on the generic ballot has even many Republicans conceding that the House could flip blue, the Senate is still more of a reach.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
By shielding their most profitable products while conceding selectively on pricing, manufacturers can reduce political pressure without materially sacrificing profitability.
—Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Senate Republican leader John Thune of South Dakota spent much of Friday managing objections from within his conference who argued that Republicans were conceding too much to Democrats on ICE oversight.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
The government has previously tried to charge Lemon in a steadily escalating campaign involving a string of highly unusual legal moves to strong-arm courts into conceding to its demands.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 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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The case was settled out of court in 2022, with Andrew admitting no wrongdoing.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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The letter to Hull in which Pender allegedly confessed to committing the murders was later deemed a fake, with Hull himself admitting that his cellmate wrote it.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And then Malinin, 21, imploded in a shocking collapse, succumbing to the enormous pressure of his first Winter Games and finishing an incomprehensible eighth.—
Bora Erden,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Her elder two sisters died at 10 and 11; her sister Anne at 29; her ne’er-do-well brother Branwell at 31; and Charlotte at the ripe age of 38—all succumbing to tuberculosis.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The two erupt in argument, in misunderstanding, with John confessing his anger at his lot.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
First there was Norwegian’s Sturla Holm Lægreid confessing to cheating on his girlfriend during a live interview after winning the bronze medal and tearfully begging her to come back (shockingly, humiliating his ex on national television didn’t work).—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The suspect pulled over to the side of the freeway near the 101 Freeway northbound before surrendering to CHP officers.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Picking up his fourth and fifth strikeouts of the afternoon and inducing a soft ground ball, Dylan Volantis completed his fifth inning of work without surrendering a hit.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On Staten Island, that means acknowledging that communities of color are a substantial and growing part of the borough.—
Chris Alexander,
New York Daily News,
20 Feb. 2026
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Her complaint to the insurance department, filed three months ago, had resulted only in a letter acknowledging receipt.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Roethling recommends submitting the sample to your local Cooperative Extension office for accurate testing.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
20 Feb. 2026
-
When submitting, please include your address along with the specific date and time of the video.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the national anthem played following their victories, Smith and Carlos expressed their anger about racial injustice in America by bowing their heads and raising their fists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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For its inaugural issue bowing in Saturday, the magazine tapped Naomi Campbell as cover star.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conceding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceding. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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