as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the revolutionary government forced Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian throne
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Recent Examples of abdicate
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Congress has already abdicated its duty.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The goal was to play a patient game then jump on the offensive when opportunities arose rather than trying to force the issue and abdicate defensive responsibilities.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 7 May 2026
To their right was King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark, Queen Margrethe of Denmark (who abdicated in 2024), Queen Sofia of Spain (mother of the current monarch, King Felipe) and Princess Beatrix, the former Queen of the Netherlands.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Congress has already abdicated its duty.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The goal was to play a patient game then jump on the offensive when opportunities arose rather than trying to force the issue and abdicate defensive responsibilities.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 7 May 2026
To their right was King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark, Queen Margrethe of Denmark (who abdicated in 2024), Queen Sofia of Spain (mother of the current monarch, King Felipe) and Princess Beatrix, the former Queen of the Netherlands.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicate
Verb
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In other Western countries, many feel resigned to a lifetime of renting with little hope of following their parents and grandparents’ footsteps up the property ladder.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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Zilis, who by that point had children with Musk, resigned from the OpenAI board.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Verb
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There are outs not to be relinquished on the bases.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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Companies that violate the law could be forced to relinquish their earnings to a federal youth sports fund, from which the money would be used to reduce participation costs for families, provide scholarships and keep local sporting venues free for community use.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Beijing has never renounced the use of force to unify Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.—
Jan Camenzind Broomby,
NPR,
14 May 2026
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Everyone in our state should renounce and denounce these defamatory attacks.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Abdicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicate. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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