as in surrender
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
miraculously, the relinquishment of the hostages was accomplished without bloodshed
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Recent Examples of relinquishment
Mexican Cession, relinquishment of more than half of Mexico’s territory to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The Denver District Attorney's Office said prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the judge set a $75,000 cash/property/surety bond, with maximum home confinement, GPS monitoring, and firearms relinquishment.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In response, Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But in 2022, when people returned to their offices or got new jobs and work schedules changed, the San Clemente shelter relinquishments jumped 87%, with 131 animals dropped off.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The relinquishment of such a title within the British royal family is incredibly rare.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The top reasons for relinquishment of companion animals identified in the study were behavioral issues (28 percent), housing or moving challenges (18 percent), and inability to care for the animal (16 percent).
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Most regretted giving their babies up for adoption and went through a long period of depression after the relinquishment.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Apr. 2026
The Denver District Attorney's Office said prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the judge set a $75,000 cash/property/surety bond, with maximum home confinement, GPS monitoring, and firearms relinquishment.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
In response, Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But in 2022, when people returned to their offices or got new jobs and work schedules changed, the San Clemente shelter relinquishments jumped 87%, with 131 animals dropped off.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The relinquishment of such a title within the British royal family is incredibly rare.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
The top reasons for relinquishment of companion animals identified in the study were behavioral issues (28 percent), housing or moving challenges (18 percent), and inability to care for the animal (16 percent).
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Most regretted giving their babies up for adoption and went through a long period of depression after the relinquishment.
—Alana Semuels, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquishment
Noun
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If the former is about the inevitability of falling in love, a complete surrender beyond the speaker’s control, the latter confronts the pain of romantic love’s aftermath.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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In comments carried by semi-official ISNA news agency, Pezeshkian said any attempt to impose will or force the country into surrender is doomed to fail, and the Iranian nation will never accept such an approach.—
Alexandra Bacallao,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The flood of reports sent to the DOJ after her solicitation overwhelmed the few remaining attorneys, who were forced to rush to meet a legal deadline requiring the division to examine all such submissions within 10 days of their filing.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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The university also acknowledged two submissions that won honorable mentions.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishment. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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