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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 On Friday, the bicameral (and technically bipartisan) collective of lawmakers known as the Litigation Task Force submitted an amicus brief before the Supreme Court arguing on behalf of Congress’s Article I legislative powers. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 28 Oct. 2025 Oklahoma City won’t submit an injury report until Tuesday, but Alex Caruso (concussion protocol), Isaiah Joe (knee), Thomas Sorber (ACL), Nikola Topic (surgical recovery), Jalen Williams (wrist) and Kenrich Williams (knee) were out against the Mavericks. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2025 Follow the on-screen prompts to submit the report. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025 Gaming companies had to wait until late August to submit their application for licenses and hire employees, instead of early March, Zimmerman said in February. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for submit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for submit
Verb
  • Unfortunately, Abraham succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
    Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Abraham died at the crash site, while Polzin succumbed to her injuries the next day at the hospital.
    Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Feeling the net tightening around him, Aydın surrendered to the Turkish consulate in São Paulo on July 1, 2020.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Once babies are surrendered they are given immediate medical attention and taken to the hospital.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Accessories — a category that Adidas executives have previously conceded needs more work — only rose 1 percent.
    Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Without conceding much, Washington could stop cross-strait antagonisms from descending further and create room for a better trajectory to emerge.
    STEPHEN WERTHEIM, Foreign Affairs, 28 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Submit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submit. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on submit

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