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
Too many people have abdicated their collective responsibility.
—
Ken Burns,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Dinello was right, and The Late Show eventually became late night’s ratings leader—a throne that CBS is now voluntarily abdicating.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Congress abdicating its authority.
—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Ken Burns,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
Congress has abdicated its power to an oligarchy of billionaires.
—
Letters To The Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
Dinello was right, and The Late Show eventually became late night’s ratings leader—a throne that CBS is now voluntarily abdicating.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Congress abdicating its authority.
—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicate
Verb
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Greg Chavarria resigned in 2024, then Susan Grant served almost a year as acting city manager.
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Scotland Coach Steve Clarke Resigns Steve Clarke has resigned as head coach after leading Scotland to its first men’s World Cup in 28 years.
Verb
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Willow Nightingale relinquished the championship in May due to a shoulder injury that also forced her out of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, leading AEW to create this match to crown a new champion.
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But for Iran, reopening the strait does not mean relinquishing control of it.
Verb
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What follows are dozens of examples of how those whose names are familiar (or aren’t) and legendary (or infamous) for their actions while representing the state have been embraced (or renounced) by the rest of the country and beyond.
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If the Lakers renounce all their free agents except for Reaves, hacking their books with machete, the team would have Dončić, Jared Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James (partial guarantee) and Adou Theiro under contract.
Cite this Entry
“Abdicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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