1
as in succumbed
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 & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subsided
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relented
Advertisement In 1959, after a year of pressure from the Women’s Emergency Committee to Reopen Our Schools and a federal court order, Faubus relented and Little Rock’s public high schools reopened.
—
Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Someone came up with a fix, and the Japanese eventually relented.
—Henry Larson, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
That entanglement allowed Biden to traverse the country haranguing business on equity, climate, daycare, union labor, and other whole-of-government crusades—while taunting Republicans who relented for the sake of home-district dollars.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Though initially reluctant, Ivey relented when Jenkins, 31, promised to stay on the phone with the elder boy during the walk.
—Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The judge relented in the face of his daughter’s determination, perhaps more than a little proud of her patriotic pluck.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
But unlike those mandatory G+ logins—on which Google eventually relented before shutting down the G+ service—our reading of the tea leaves suggests that, this time, the search giant is extremely pleased with how things are going.
—Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
After being denied three times, her doctor finally relented.
—Rachel Murphy, Health, 8 Jan. 2025
But violence in Acapulco hasn’t relented.
—Antonio Castillo and María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Someone came up with a fix, and the Japanese eventually relented.
—Henry Larson, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
That entanglement allowed Biden to traverse the country haranguing business on equity, climate, daycare, union labor, and other whole-of-government crusades—while taunting Republicans who relented for the sake of home-district dollars.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Though initially reluctant, Ivey relented when Jenkins, 31, promised to stay on the phone with the elder boy during the walk.
—Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The judge relented in the face of his daughter’s determination, perhaps more than a little proud of her patriotic pluck.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
But unlike those mandatory G+ logins—on which Google eventually relented before shutting down the G+ service—our reading of the tea leaves suggests that, this time, the search giant is extremely pleased with how things are going.
—Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
After being denied three times, her doctor finally relented.
—Rachel Murphy, Health, 8 Jan. 2025
But violence in Acapulco hasn’t relented.
—Antonio Castillo and María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relented
Verb
-
An area of stormy weather the hurricane center tracked for development between Africa and the Caribbean last week succumbed to this hostile factor.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Kennedale Fire Department attempted lifesaving measures, but the man succumbed to his injuries, authorities said in a news release.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Guiducci arrives at a moment when some of that anger has subsided, and the punch-drunk culture seems counterintuitively eager to escape into nostalgia and tastemaking, splashy profiles, and — just sometimes — confrontational journalism.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Employees said the mold problem still hadn’t subsided as of early this year.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sweepstakes entries can be submitted via the brand's website, with no purchase necessary.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Should Manas be chosen as Brazil’s official Academy Award submission, Brennand would be only the third woman whose film has ever been submitted, for the category, and if nominated, the first Brazilian woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The New York Federal Reserve’s measure of Global Supply Chain Pressure showed that July’s level of stress decreased, and is approximately now equal to the long-term average.—
George Calhoun,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Local businesses in affected neighborhoods report decreased foot traffic and lower sales amid the atmosphere of uncertainty.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
During the family dinner that concludes episode 1 of Back to Reality, Chase conceded to Savannah's hard work.—
Ryan Coleman September 2,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Mascherano conceded that his team was outplayed in the first half.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With four weeks of consistent use, our tester’s dark spots were diminished, and her skin looked even-toned and healthy.—
Esme Benjamin,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Now, with the rise of summaries and instant answers, their impact on driving actual site traffic has diminished.—
Noa Eshed,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Mainland China opened higher but surrendered gains as technology hardware, semiconductors, electrical equipment, and telecom stocks lagged.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
McCullough to bring in reliever Seth Martinez, who surrendered an RBI single to Riley Adams.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
-
There are also beautifully observed moments toward the end with Dorotea and Riccardo; and a moving reckoning with death when Mariano’s favorite horse, a stallion named Elvis, is felled by illness and the president refuses to end his suffering by having the animal put to sleep.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relented. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share