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
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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
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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
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Employees said the mold problem still hadn’t subsided as of early this year.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Taxation submitted comments to the Treasury with respect to Executive Order 14247 regarding electronic payments, specifically those made by or to the IRS.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The Washington Post said the claim appears to be based on information submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which monitors the safety of shots approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The study led by Phillips that published last year found that the vaccine reduced signs of chlamydia during a koala's breeding age and decreased death from the disease by 64%.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
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Darrow says the orchard’s acreage has decreased by half, mirroring the state’s overall decline since 2000.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
All of this means that, as Powell conceded at the annual Jackson Hole summit, the Fed’s dual mandate of ensuring price stability and maximizing employment may be skewing toward prioritizing jobs for the first time in half a decade.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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On the 18th hole of the final match, Nicklaus sank his par putt and then conceded Tony Jacklin’s short par putt, ensuring both the match and the Ryder Cup ended in a tie.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even if military victory in the conventional sense remains uncertain, Russia has been diminished in ways that extend far beyond the battlefield.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The result can mean fatigue, irritability and diminished mental focus for the individual tasked with working in the heat.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mainland China opened higher but surrendered gains as technology hardware, semiconductors, electrical equipment, and telecom stocks lagged.—
Brendan Ahern,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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McCullough to bring in reliever Seth Martinez, who surrendered an RBI single to Riley Adams.—
Steve Gorten,
Miami Herald,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire’s newest proposal for Jackson, dubbed AMEX, targets nearly 500 acres with a patchwork of small clearcuts and is silent on tree sizes to be felled.—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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Footage from the 1966 Italian documentary Africa Addio, of a herd of elephants being felled by both ground hunters and sharpshooters in helicopters, is distressing to watch.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relented. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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