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as in to capitulate
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces the fort's commander received orders not to submit under any circumstances, as reinforcements were on the way

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb submit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of submit are capitulate, defer, relent, succumb, and yield. While all these words mean "to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist," submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

When could capitulate be used to replace submit?

The words capitulate and submit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

When is it sensible to use defer instead of submit?

The words defer and submit can be used in similar contexts, but defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

When is relent a more appropriate choice than submit?

While in some cases nearly identical to submit, relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

When might succumb be a better fit than submit?

Although the words succumb and submit have much in common, succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

When would yield be a good substitute for submit?

The meanings of yield and submit largely overlap; however, yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

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 submit Southern Living reader Meghan Mays of Lynchburg, Virginia submitted this fall cake recipe to the magazine. Patricia S York, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2025 By endorsing films submitted through these entities, the Academy unwittingly supports a censorship system that excludes vital voices, especially those of independent filmmakers and the Iranian diaspora. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025 Among these, the company had submitted the Principal Design Criteria (PDC) topical report for SOLO. Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025 Skow did take action, submitting a compliant with IC3, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is the FBI’s system for reporting online crime and fraud. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for submit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for submit
Verb
  • Here are some steps to prevent your team from succumbing to the sense of powerlessness associated with the Great Lock-In trend.
    Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • And when Jîna succumbed to her injuries on September 16, the Shargh reporter Niloofar Hamedi defied orders to keep quiet and told the world about her death in a tweet.
    Fatemeh Jamalpour, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but multiple reports suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police.
    Richard Hall, Time, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Once Bailey reached home, the official completion of a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, Bailey surrendered himself to the moment.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The department is denying student loan forgiveness to borrowers in the IBR plan who have reached the 20- or 25-year threshold for discharge, even while the department concedes that loan forgiveness is authorized under IBR and has not been blocked or enjoined by any court.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • In his first big league start, Yesavage struck out nine batters in five innings while conceding just one run.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Submit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submit. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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