SUCCUMBING Synonyms: 115 Similar and Opposite Words

succumbing

verb

present participle of succumb

as in submitting

to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) he finally succumbed and let his wife get rid of his dilapidated easy chair

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as in surrendering

to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit) refused to succumb to her fears and defiantly walked through the dark cemetery

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as in dying

to stop living the patient lay so still and pale that everyone thought he had succumbed, and then he opened his eyes

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as in falling

to yield to the control or power of enemy forces the doctor worked tirelessly until finally he, too, succumbed to the fever

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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 succumbing He was carried out of the ring on a stretcher; his body finally succumbing to complete exhaustion. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Tickets are priced at tiers that smell extortionate, and are won by either facing off with bots or succumbing to the—actually extortionate—resale market. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026 The move was the latest sign of the tech giant succumbing to the draw of AI that remains deeply flawed — and the staggering amount of misinformation that comes along with it. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 2 Sep. 2026 Suspicions that the festival was succumbing to fascist influences actually led to the establishment of the Cannes Film Festival as an alternative after the 1938 edition. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The Liberty’s deficit stayed in double figures while succumbing to the pressure of Golden State’s small lineups. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026 The researchers said this means that the current controls by AI companies are prone to being disabled by misbehaving AI and at risk of succumbing to a blitz of AI attacks. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 There have been some close calls, with the closest being a 75-74 defeat in Game 2 of last season’s opening round, a game where Golden State held multiple large leads before succumbing late to a Minnesota comeback. — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 Walz ended his campaign for a third term in January after succumbing to scrutiny about systemic fraud uncovered in his state’s social services program. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for succumbing

Verb

Ask a friend or mentor to read it for flow and engagement before submitting.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The project follows a husband and wife who buy their dream ranch only to discover the land is alive with ancient spirits, and survival means submitting to increasingly disturbing rituals with each turn of the season.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of submitting

Verb

The elite programs get another Saturday of tickets, parking, concessions and television inventory without surrendering a future home date.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
The bullpen was coming off a rough night, surrendering five runs in Wednesday’s 9-6 loss, a game in which the Royals led 5-2.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of surrendering

Verb

United’s head coach had a face like thunder post-match, and understandably so after his team allowed two points to slip through their grasp in the dying seconds.

— Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Looks like the method acting (stopping his heart medication in order to play a dying man) paid off.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of dying

Verb

Dash rookie Leah Klenke put the Pride ahead with an own goal in the 14th minute before conceding a penalty against Summer Yates 28 minutes later.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Arsenal had no choice but to go all out after conceding on 77 seconds and seemed better for it.

— Jack Lang, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of conceding

Verb

The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven while yielding one hit through 3⅓ innings before Wade Meckler doubled into shallow left field with one out in the fourth.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Mueller said new varieties of Kernza are yielding more than previous ones, but the yield can decline as the crop ages.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of yielding

Verb

The key to why scores are falling so widely may be found in an accompanying survey taken by students.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Volatility tends to ease in November, with the VIX falling around 4% as the midterm results remove a key political overhang and provide investors with greater clarity on the policy backdrop, said James Ooi, market strategist at Tiger Brokers.

— Joanna Ossinger,Justina Lee, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of falling

Verb

Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, is set to open the Beyond Fest genre festival in Los Angeles after bowing in Venice.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Standing in a holding pen for inmates, wearing orange jail attire, Holdo looked back at Savery almost admiringly, at times bowing his head.

— Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of bowing

Verb

This summer has been a deadly one in Europe, with over 10,000 people perishing in the extreme heat over just a few weeks.

— Morgan Simon, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Julie Chen Moonves shares her thoughts on that wild Big Brother premiere, including Rachel Reilly perishing in a volcano.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026