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
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 relinquishing
His mother would soon pass, and Agee hadn’t had the opportunity to find a new place to live after relinquishing his apartment pre-Suicide Squad.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
While a strong federal government may be central to the Democratic Party's identity, maintaining that objective likely requires relinquishing control from the capital and encouraging state politicos to explore new ways to achieve success.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Genest said by relinquishing control over this aspect of working conditions, the state is granting unions more authority over the issue and, Genest said, weakening management of state government.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This ain’t my first time relinquishing the title.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Many also have an intense fear of relinquishing their perfectionism, which feels like the only thing that is holding them together.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
For the Thunder to turn a defensive liability into one of the best defenders in all of basketball, without relinquishing a single draft pick, has to go down as one of the biggest steals of the 2024-2025 NBA season.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
There’s that relinquishing control of the messaging, though!
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024
Later that spring, Chuter departed her post as chief executive officer of Uoma, also relinquishing her board seat.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
While a strong federal government may be central to the Democratic Party's identity, maintaining that objective likely requires relinquishing control from the capital and encouraging state politicos to explore new ways to achieve success.
—Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Genest said by relinquishing control over this aspect of working conditions, the state is granting unions more authority over the issue and, Genest said, weakening management of state government.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2025
This ain’t my first time relinquishing the title.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Many also have an intense fear of relinquishing their perfectionism, which feels like the only thing that is holding them together.
—Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
For the Thunder to turn a defensive liability into one of the best defenders in all of basketball, without relinquishing a single draft pick, has to go down as one of the biggest steals of the 2024-2025 NBA season.
—Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
There’s that relinquishing control of the messaging, though!
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024
Later that spring, Chuter departed her post as chief executive officer of Uoma, also relinquishing her board seat.
—Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquishing
Verb
-
Everyday New Yorkers are not giving up, are not giving in, are not surrendering.—
John Santucci,
ABC News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The suspect then stumbled and dropped his wig before surrendering, the news outlet reported.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This isn't about abdicating responsibility.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The temperature has to be so low that atoms emit no infrared radiation, rendering traditional thermal imaging ineffective.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The gamble backfired, with the LDP losing seats in parliament and rendering it unable to form a majority government even with its coalition partners.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Macron has also repeatedly ruled out resigning from office before his term ends in 2027, despite polling poorly.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Yokeley, a Republican, served as the chair of the Surry County Board of Elections until resigning on Thursday.—
Ben Brachfeld,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
From delivering disaster relief during devastating recent floods to investing in food banks, the business’ presence extends far beyond its checkout lines.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Later, in the fourth quarter, Ward hung in against oncoming pressure in the end zone before delivering a first-down throw to Calvin Ridley.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even worse, Park and his conservative successors had been bolstered by the very imperial forces from which the South Koreans had hoped to escape, in exchange for renouncing their right to forgive and to hold Japan accountable.—
Eun A Jo,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Nov. 2022
Verb
-
The document also prohibits any leader from ceding Ukrainian land, Farkas said during a recent interview with the Tribune.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Munar responded by referencing when his opponent hit a ball into the stands during the third set, with Bergs subsequently penalized a point for ball abuse and ceding that game as a result.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share