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
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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
While that new detail is likely to please debt holders, who had proposed that current shareholders inject 8 billion reais, the company rejected other changes sought by creditors, including relinquishing control of the board.
—
Rachel Gamarski, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026
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
Rachel Gamarski, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquishing
Verb
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The mall, one of Chicago’s largest, fell on hard times after getting hit by the rise of online retail and then the pandemic, losing its top retailer, Macy’s, in 2021, followed by the owner surrendering control of the property in 2022.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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The defensive effort got Cameron out of the fifth inning without surrendering a run.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 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
-
The Braves wound up in last place that season, and Schuerholz arrived in October as the Braves’ new GM, rendering Cox a full-time manager again.—
Mark Bradley for the AJC,
AJC.com,
9 May 2026
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Instead, the interstellar medium is dominated by gas, and mostly hydrogen gas at that, but in the warmer, more diffuse regions of space, that gas becomes ionized, rendering it into a plasma.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The broadcaster then served as director of television programming from 1968 to 1972, later resigning to make his own television programs.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
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Russia and Israel, whom the resigning jury had excluded from the prize running, are eligible for the new prizes.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
4 May 2026
Verb
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But the bans, which have been touted by researchers, educators and policymakers as a way to boost children’s attendance and academic achievement and to combat mental health issues and online bullying, aren’t delivering on all those promises, the findings reveal.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
4 May 2026
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While many salon-quality shampoos have reputations for delivering major results, some people have comparable results with their affordable counterparts.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
SAM METZ,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
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The program calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The government and its Russian allies were able to rally, but not before ceding effective control over the north.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
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The Sixers had momentum — a chance to steal (yes, steal) a game against a far (yes, far) superior Knicks team and salvage what was left of their playoff hopes after ceding the first two games of the second-round series at Madison Square Garden.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishing. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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