1
as in complying
Related Words
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Dissimilar Words
2
as in merciful
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in succumbing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decreasing
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 relenting
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
The prime minister offered his heartfelt condolences to the family, asked about the well-being of Roy and Alon, Itay’s brothers, and vowed to continue the fight without relenting until the last hostage is returned.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Neither side has shown signs of relenting.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Then again, anyone can yell at you remotely without relenting.
—Richard Siken
august 26, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
But seconds later, the relenting turns into an all-out shredding of yet another masterful tune.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 2 Dec. 2025
The prime minister offered his heartfelt condolences to the family, asked about the well-being of Roy and Alon, Itay’s brothers, and vowed to continue the fight without relenting until the last hostage is returned.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Neither side has shown signs of relenting.
—Nik Popli, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Then again, anyone can yell at you remotely without relenting.
—Richard Siken
august 26, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relenting
Adjective
-
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 Jan. 2026
-
This was seen by the founders as a merciful act, stemming from the tradition of old English law.—
Stewart Ulrich,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The man was pronounced dead at the hospital after succumbing to his injuries, according to police.—
Kelsey Brown,
San Antonio Express-News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
After temporarily succumbing to one of his deeply seductive illusions, the Big Other urges him to stop dreaming.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The effect of climate change on traditional bear food sources, a steep population decline in rural areas, and the decreasing number of hunters have been cited as factors driving the rise in bear encounters.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The prospect of lower interest rates also helps by reducing the opportunity costs of holding non-yielding assets like bullion.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
23 Dec. 2025
-
To taste one hot off the press, so to speak, is an experience not to be missed; the flavor is so complex, the mouthful so round, the texture so yielding.—
Aleksandra Crapanzano,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Be Sympathetic In the days following daylight saving time, try to be more forgiving if your child is throwing extra temper tantrums or seems to be particularly frustrated or emotional.—
Dina Roth Port,
Parents,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Pete Dye–designed, 36-hole layout includes the famed Straits Course, which runs along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, and the Irish Course, its slightly more forgiving inland counterpart.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Yet on the road Spurs are the best team in the land, earning 13 points from 15, scoring 12 goals and conceding only three.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Without conceding much, Washington could stop cross-strait antagonisms from descending further and create room for a better trajectory to emerge.—
STEPHEN WERTHEIM,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Beyond the curse of high expectations, other headwinds that weighed on Eaton's shares appear to be subsiding, including capacity expansion.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Hurricane conditions are occurring within the warning area in Cuba but expected to begin subsiding this afternoon.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Rodríguez was not immediately pliant.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Its root system is aggressive, shallow, and rather pliant, which makes the tree very unstable.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relenting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relenting. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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