1
as in surrendering
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the boy reluctantly relinquished the illegal fireworks to the police officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abdicating
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the retiring CEO relinquished his position to the company's vice president with very mixed feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of relinquishing
Tarrant County commissioners unanimously decided on Tuesday to put about a quarter mile of road up for sale in hopes of relinquishing control over the stretch.
—
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
While the company is seen as relinquishing its multi-year lead on the technology, former Apple insiders said there's still hope.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
With concerns growing about a global energy crisis, an Iranian official said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
An Iranian official defiantly said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Arizona gave the Knights little reason for hope, racing out to a 27-point lead in the first half and never relinquishing the lead.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Researchers warned about relinquishing autonomy without interpretability.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Their dreadful February reeks of a team that grew desperate to reap the benefits of a dying method, at least somewhat relinquishing its old, stubborn ways.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Apr. 2026
While the company is seen as relinquishing its multi-year lead on the technology, former Apple insiders said there's still hope.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 6 Apr. 2026
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
With concerns growing about a global energy crisis, an Iranian official said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
An Iranian official defiantly said Tehran had no intention of relinquishing its tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Arizona gave the Knights little reason for hope, racing out to a 27-point lead in the first half and never relinquishing the lead.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 Mar. 2026
Researchers warned about relinquishing autonomy without interpretability.
—Victoria Bousis, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2026
Their dreadful February reeks of a team that grew desperate to reap the benefits of a dying method, at least somewhat relinquishing its old, stubborn ways.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquishing
Verb
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Right-hander Colin Rea handled the Phillies, tossing 6 2/3 innings while surrendering just one run on six hits.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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Two soldiers, hands in the air, surrendering and carefully following the orders barked at them by the other side.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In its most hostile version, the same qualities are recast as evidence of his succumbing to spectacle and abdicating basic architectural responsibility.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
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Democratic leaders have accused Congress of abdicating its constitutional role, and some members plan to boycott the address or attend in silent protest.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Antibodies that my body developed to fight the mycoplasma bacteria also destroyed my red blood cells, rendering me briefly anemic.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Upon arrival, officers saw Long Beach firefighters rendering medical aid to the victim, who was lying in the road.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After his 2022 bankruptcy petition was approved, Gurliacci rejoined the work force, hopping to six Georgia law enforcement agencies within three years, each time resigning before moving on, records obtained by AP show.—
Ryan J. Foley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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Then the bombshell allegations against Swalwell came out, leading to his dropping out of the race and, subsequently, resigning from Congress.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite Pistons superstar Cade Cunningham delivering a brilliant performance with a playoff career-high 39 points.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Chloe Kelly Almost exclusively used as a super-sub but Kelly’s track record of delivering huge moments makes her one of England’s key players.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Returning to the guitars that characterized the band’s earliest work without renouncing their latter-day synths, MacFarlane gives Graham’s ruminations an urgent tenderness.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
31 Mar. 2026
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The association filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the fee, including one that remains pending that argues there should be no cost for renouncing one’s citizenship.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The chipmaker is in the midst of a multiyear effort to restore its technological leadership after years of ceding market share to rivals such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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While ad revenue is on the upswing for streaming outlets like Paramount+ and Pluto, the company’s longstanding TV networks have been ceding precious ad dollars to other venues.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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