as in abdicating
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
following the election, the incumbent cabinet members resigned their positions so the president could feel free to pick a new administration
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Recent Examples of resigning
Runcie ended up resigning in 2021, after a statewide grand jury indicted him on a perjury charge.
—
Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Instead of resigning yourself to this mess, this hanging toiletry bag is an excellent storage hack that will keep everything from hair products to skincare in one neat, easy-to-locate pouch.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2026
The newsletter, sent December 30, follows news of two prominent staffers resigning their positions in 2026.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
After resigning, Sasse went on to serve as the University of Florida president.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
At Oregon State, Blaylock served as the university’s primary point of contact for the Blueprint partnership and, ultimately, became its fall guy, resigning from his post in late October.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Rather than resigning herself to paying an arm and a leg for quality sheets, Watson heads to HomeGoods.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
The film concludes with Talankin resigning from his job and fleeing Russia for Europe.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
Respondents noted an uptick in employees angered by one or more workplace factors unexpectedly resigning their positions and storming away, often loudly airing recriminations about their old jobs.
—Bruce Crumley, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Instead of resigning yourself to this mess, this hanging toiletry bag is an excellent storage hack that will keep everything from hair products to skincare in one neat, easy-to-locate pouch.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2026
The newsletter, sent December 30, follows news of two prominent staffers resigning their positions in 2026.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
After resigning, Sasse went on to serve as the University of Florida president.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025
At Oregon State, Blaylock served as the university’s primary point of contact for the Blueprint partnership and, ultimately, became its fall guy, resigning from his post in late October.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2025
Rather than resigning herself to paying an arm and a leg for quality sheets, Watson heads to HomeGoods.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
The film concludes with Talankin resigning from his job and fleeing Russia for Europe.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
Respondents noted an uptick in employees angered by one or more workplace factors unexpectedly resigning their positions and storming away, often loudly airing recriminations about their old jobs.
—Bruce Crumley, Boston Herald, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for resigning
Verb
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The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system.—
ELIZABETH ECONOMY,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Dec. 2025
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After all, Perfidia explodes other archetypes, too—for instance, abdicating her roles as a mother and romantic partner to continue her work.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Buffalo Bills lasted seven weeks in the pole position before relinquishing the title to the Kansas City Chiefs.—
Scott Phillips,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Hamas has shown no signs of relinquishing power or its weapons.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Margaret’s father succeeded him as King George VI, and her mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, never forgave the duke for renouncing his duty to his country.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Dec. 2025
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Ukraine withdrawing from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and Kyiv officially renouncing its aim to join NATO.—
Andrea Shalal,
USA Today,
28 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Resigning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resigning. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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