relent

1 to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) the supervisor finally relented in the face of the petition, and allowed employees to take longer lunch breaks Synonyms blink, bow, budge, capitulate, concede, give in, knuckle under, quit, yield, submit, succumb, surrenderRelated Words acquiesce; deferNear Antonyms contend, fight, hold off; battle, breast, combat, confront, counter, defy, face, meet, object, oppose, repel; thwart, withstandAntonyms resist

2 to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the fury of the storm relented, and the next day the sun finally broke through the clouds Synonyms abate, decline, de-escalate, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, fall away, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down) also rachet (down), recede, decrease, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, waneRelated Words compress, condense, constrict, contract; evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish; slacken, slow (down); alleviate, relax; flag, sink, weaken; cave (in), collapse, deflateNear Antonyms appear, emerge, show up; blow up, distend, elongate, lengthenAntonyms accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon (also bourgeon), enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax