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 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

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
If someone succumbs to the heat, promptly relocate them to a cool, shaded location.

— Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Definition of succumbs

Verb

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
The media business always goes through some splitting of cells — meiosis and mitosis — but every industry leader concedes that consolidation is especially needed today.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Definition of concedes

Verb

Some peptides are naturally produced in the body, such as insulin; which is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that decreases blood sugar levels.

— Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
As traffic in the waterway decreases, the oil market is facing the same squeeze that has taken millions of barrels offline per day since March.

— Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of decreases

Verb

In my experience, most account management teams operate reactively, stepping in only when a customer submits a support ticket or threatens to churn.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Should the Council decline, if Unite NY then submits at least another 15,000 signatures, the matter will go to the ballot.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 6 July 2026

Definition of submits

Verb

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

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 July 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

How Plaza Midwood became Plaza Midwood Charlotte historian Tom Hanchett eases his Prius down Central Avenue, pointing from one storefront to the next.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
This eases the logistics challenge of F1 arranging and holding the race with 10 weeks notice.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 26 July 2026