relinquish

Synonym Chooser

How is the word relinquish different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of relinquish are abandon, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to relinquish?

While the synonyms abandon and relinquish are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

In what contexts can resign take the place of relinquish?

The synonyms resign and relinquish are sometimes interchangeable, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is surrender a more appropriate choice than relinquish?

In some situations, the words surrender and relinquish are roughly equivalent. However, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

When can waive be used instead of relinquish?

The words waive and relinquish can be used in similar contexts, but waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When could yield be used to replace relinquish?

Although the words yield and relinquish have much in common, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 relinquish But Boston would not relinquish such a lead in Game 3, which led many to wonder if the Knicks' runs were a fluke. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2025 The fact of the matter is, relinquishing an effort to be kind and loving to your partner under the banner of being your true self doesn’t lead to a more genuine relationship, just a nastier one. Dr. Jacqueline Olds and Dr. Richard Schwartzs, CNBC, 10 May 2025 Only this time, the Oilers relinquished their advantage. Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 9 May 2025 Last year, Sabalenka relinquished the Madrid Open title to Iga Świątek in the best WTA Tour match of the season. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
  • Calvin Faucher surrendered six runs without securing a single out and Lake Bachar gave up three more as the Cubs posted eight runs on eight hits in the decisive sixth inning of a 14-1 Marlins’ loss at loanDepot park.
    Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
  • After the battle, the South surrendered Fort Gaines, which still stands on Dauphin Island.
    D. Hunter Reardon, USA Today, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The Queen abdicated her position in January 2024 on the 52nd anniversary of her rise to the throne, becoming the first Danish royal to voluntarily do so in almost 900 years.
    Jillian Frankel, People.com, 12 May 2025
  • On too many issues, foreign and domestic, Congress has abdicated its authority often leaving Trump with the power of a monarch.
    Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Every explosion, landscape, and detail is rendered with breathtaking clarity, making your gaming sessions more immersive than ever.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 20 May 2025
  • This global sourcing approach, along with its main customer base focused in North America, renders Lowe’s susceptible to trade disruptions and tariffs.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • National Science Foundation eliminates hundreds of grants day after director resigns DOGE shuttering Millennium Challenge Corp aid agency, staff told See protesters rally for US veterans impacted by Trump's DOGE cuts What is AmeriCorps?
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • At the May 13 Village Board meeting, the first meeting since Buchanan resigned, current board members who served with Buchanan praised her.
    Bob Skolnik, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • The new concoction was to be delivered via twice-monthly infusions — though each treatment would take longer, pushing the medicine into Elissa’s body for eight or nine hours at a time.
    Kristen Jordan Shamus, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • The food was bad, the service lacklustre, and even the view failed to deliver, with the drama of the nearby Gateway Arch undermined by the charmless vistas of East St. Louis.
    Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The handsome and charismatic Lord Edward Fitzgerald, an Anglican son of a duke, renounced his title and commanded the society’s militia.
    Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
  • Saxon is all about getting off, and Piper (Sarah Catherine Hook) is renouncing the materialistic.
    Dory Jackson, People.com, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • Forced to retreat back deeper in the field thanks to the arrival of Kylian Mbappe, Bellingham has been nowhere near as effective this term as Madrid was bulldozed by FC Barcelona in four Clasicos and lost the Copa del Rey and Super Cup finals to it while also ceding La Liga to the Catalans.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • Leclerc needed to cede the place to Albon, but at the same time, his complaint about the amount of rules-lawyering that now accompanies every bit of wheel-to-wheel action is getting a bit tedious.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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