Synonyms of relented

relented

verb

past tense of relent

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

• succumbed
• conceded
• submitted
• surrendered
• bowed
• capitulated
• blinked
• budged
• yielded
• acquiesced
• quit
• gave in
• said uncle
• knuckled under
• threw in the towel
• deferred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• resisted
• contended
• fought
• opposed
• objected
• confronted
• met
• countered
• faced
• defied
• repelled
• battled
• thwarted
• held off
• withstood
• combated
• breasted

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

• subsided
• decreased
• diminished
• fell
• eased
• declined
• vanished
• shrank
• ebbed
• waned
• dwindled
• receded
• lowered
• lessened
• died (away or down or out)
• palled
• moderated
• dropped (off)
• abated
• weakened
• tapered
• fell away
• drained (away)
• evaporated
• remitted
• tapered off
• de-escalated
• let up
• phased down
• racheted (down)
• ratcheted (down)
• contracted
• compressed
• alleviated
• slackened
• faded (away)
• condensed
• constricted
• melted (away)
• relaxed
• collapsed
• slowed (down)
• petered (out)
• tailed (off)
• frittered (away)
• gave out
• flagged
• sank
• deflated
• caved (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• increased
• built
• grew
• intensified
• expanded
• mounted
• rose
• escalated
• enlarged
• swelled
• accumulated
• soared
• emerged
• appeared
• waxed
• picked up
• mushroomed
• snowballed
• ballooned
• burgeoned
• showed up
• lengthened
• distended
• elongated
• blew up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of relented

Mourinho reacted by again threatening to leave, but relented after receiving further public backing from the president. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

The weather relented in the afternoon with just over three hours of play possible on the second day. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026

When the paper imposed a fee, readers revolted; the editors relented in some editions. — Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026

But the agency later relented because of backlash from the pharmaceutical industry and public health experts. — Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026

But even as two or three of us lunged toward the rail in the hope of helping him, the lake relented. — James D. Oxley, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026

While temperatures have temporarily fallen, the overall heat hasn’t relented, as this Wednesday Japan’s Environment Ministry issued a heatstroke alert for most of western and southern Japan, per the Associated Press. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026

But after a top Justice Department official demanded this action, the Secret Service relented. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

The White House later relented, giving Cassidy a one-on-one meeting, and the Louisiana Republican changed his vote in a late-night do-over vote before the Senate left for a two-week recess. — Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026