RELENTS Synonyms: 110 Similar and Opposite Words

relents

verb

present tense third-person singular of relent

as in succumbs

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

as in subsides

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 relents Instead of using moving rooms and telescopic furniture to squeeze in a full-length longitudinal bed, however, Bürstner relents to the transverse layout far more common in camper vans of this size. — New Atlas, 11 Aug. 2026 Speaker Mike Johnson is working to accommodate Republican lawmakers who are angry that the Senate won’t pass the SAVE America Act and are insisting that it be included in must-pass bills until the Senate relents. — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2026 This grade slips to a C+ if Arizona eventually relents and grants Pro-Bowl pass rusher Josh Sweat’s trade request. — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026 Donal eventually relents, however, after his venue burns down in a convenient plot device. — Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025 When utilities and grid operators push back, FERC generally relents. — Brian Deese, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2025 In the early evening in Seville, when the heat relents, Sevillanos take a paseo, or leisurely stroll. — Tia Welch Maerz, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Sep. 2025 One partner relents to the other’s wishes, without presenting their own needs and wants. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relents

Verb

Vhagar dies in the crash and Caraxes succumbs to his injuries a few days after crawling out and into the bowls of Harrenhal.

— James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
When Mina’s closest friend Lucy succumbs to his thrall, the enigmatic Professor Van Helsing is summoned to wage war on this unfathomable threat.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 July 2026

Definition of succumbs

Verb

The brutal nausea and vomiting of norovirus, for instance, subsides in one to three days; even the relentless diarrhea of cyclosporiasis can let up in a couple of days with an antibiotic.

— Erica Sloan, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026
That said, living in the South means there’s still a ways to go before the heat subsides, and until then, breathable summer staples will continue to define my outfits.

— Kate Boswell, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of subsides

Verb

The lesson here – and one the NBCU-Peacock-YouTube deal concedes – is that a media company just isn’t the mountain that Mohammed goes to – the consumers are the mountain.

— Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Once the darling of the NBA, the next heartthrob to splash on posters and commercials, the acrobatic point guard concedes he is viewed negatively.

— Jason Quick, New York Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of concedes

Verb

An autonomous vertical sail uses suction technology to draw air over this shape, creating propulsive thrust that decreases the mechanical burden on the vessel’s primary engines.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2026
Perhaps seawater’s viscosity — which decreases as temperature increases, making the water thinner —affects ciliary movements, Shapiro said.

— Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of decreases

Verb

The agency’s bid analysis reflects a process in which each Part D sponsor that wants to offer a standalone plan submits a bid to CMS every year, outlining the insurer’s benefits, costs and list of reimbursable medicines.

— Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Throughout 2017 Cohen (Lawyer A) submits 10 similar invoices for the remaining months in 2017, but is not on retainer, according to prosecutors.

— Jessie DiMartino, ABC News, 29 July 2026

Definition of submits

Verb

Screening cover diminishes, and the birds will almost always be in lowland covers that offer both security and food.

— Tom Huggler, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
When your nervous system becomes overwhelmed, your ability to access your best thinking, empathy, creativity and judgment diminishes.

— Sharon A. Kuhn, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of diminishes

Verb

Summer is usually the busiest season for shelters, officials said, as more stray animals, owner surrenders and vulnerable kittens arrive.

— Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
For an Astros pitching staff that surrenders the third-highest fly-ball rate of any team in the sport, this matters.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 29 June 2026

Definition of surrenders

Verb

Treasury yields sank in the bond market, which eases pressure on stocks and other investments.

— Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
The jobs report likely eases some pressure on the Federal Reserve, which had been widely expected to hike the federal funds rate — potentially as soon as September.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026