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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 relinquishment
So far this year, Paws Chicago has seen a 28% increase in pet relinquishments.
—
Ash-Har Quraishi, CBS News, 23 Mar. 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
Ash-Har Quraishi, CBS News, 23 Mar. 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
-
And those who find Georgia's gun laws too permissive say installing weapons detectors everywhere is a form of surrender, accepting that society will be awash in guns and violence.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Pisces new moon asks for surrender.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Republicans insist there is ample time to educate the public on timely submission of mail-in ballots ahead of the November vote and that limiting late-arriving ballots could bolster election integrity.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Screeners are the prerelease copies of film and TV shows meant for promotional use, festival submission, sales or other business reasons.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquishment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquishment. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
