1
as in succumbed
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
the supervisor finally relented in the face of the petition, and allowed employees to take longer lunch breaks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subsided
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually
the fury of the storm relented, and the next day the sun finally broke through the clouds
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of relented
Advertisement In 1959, after a year of pressure from the Women’s Emergency Committee to Reopen Our Schools and a federal court order, Faubus relented and Little Rock’s public high schools reopened.
—
Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Someone came up with a fix, and the Japanese eventually relented.
—Henry Larson, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
That entanglement allowed Biden to traverse the country haranguing business on equity, climate, daycare, union labor, and other whole-of-government crusades—while taunting Republicans who relented for the sake of home-district dollars.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Though initially reluctant, Ivey relented when Jenkins, 31, promised to stay on the phone with the elder boy during the walk.
—Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The judge relented in the face of his daughter’s determination, perhaps more than a little proud of her patriotic pluck.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
But unlike those mandatory G+ logins—on which Google eventually relented before shutting down the G+ service—our reading of the tea leaves suggests that, this time, the search giant is extremely pleased with how things are going.
—Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
After being denied three times, her doctor finally relented.
—Rachel Murphy, Health, 8 Jan. 2025
But violence in Acapulco hasn’t relented.
—Antonio Castillo and María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Time, 4 Sep. 2025
Someone came up with a fix, and the Japanese eventually relented.
—Henry Larson, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025
That entanglement allowed Biden to traverse the country haranguing business on equity, climate, daycare, union labor, and other whole-of-government crusades—while taunting Republicans who relented for the sake of home-district dollars.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Though initially reluctant, Ivey relented when Jenkins, 31, promised to stay on the phone with the elder boy during the walk.
—Maia Nehme, Charlotte Observer, 13 Aug. 2025
The judge relented in the face of his daughter’s determination, perhaps more than a little proud of her patriotic pluck.
—Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
But unlike those mandatory G+ logins—on which Google eventually relented before shutting down the G+ service—our reading of the tea leaves suggests that, this time, the search giant is extremely pleased with how things are going.
—Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025
After being denied three times, her doctor finally relented.
—Rachel Murphy, Health, 8 Jan. 2025
But violence in Acapulco hasn’t relented.
—Antonio Castillo and María Verza, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relented
Verb
-
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
-
In recent years, two towering figures of American liberalism, President Joe Biden and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, succumbed to hubris.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The pharmaceutical company’s shares traded as high as $942 last summer, but have subsided to about $755.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Late into the night, the attacks subsided.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Taxation submitted comments to the Treasury with respect to Executive Order 14247 regarding electronic payments, specifically those made by or to the IRS.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The Washington Post said the claim appears to be based on information submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, which monitors the safety of shots approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The study led by Phillips that published last year found that the vaccine reduced signs of chlamydia during a koala's breeding age and decreased death from the disease by 64%.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
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Darrow says the orchard’s acreage has decreased by half, mirroring the state’s overall decline since 2000.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But then, as has ever been the case, Manchester United conceded.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
The list includes David Seaman (Arsenal 2-4 Norwich City, 1992), Michel Vorm (Man City 4-0 Swansea, 2011), Jordan Pickford (Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Sunderland, 2016) and poor Bailey Peacock-Farrell, who conceded five on his (Man City 5-0 Burnley, 2020).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In reality, some groups of enemies are just much easier to defeat by sticking to a single weapon, even if the damage output is diminished.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Sep. 2025
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This is significant because China represents a substantial portion of revenue for EDA vendors, and the uncertainty has diminished confidence just as local competitors are being encouraged by Beijing to enter the market.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Patriots had the Dolphins stalled before Austin surrendered a 47-yard reception to wide receiver Tyreek Hill.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Rodgriguez surrendered and officers found an unloaded handgun on top of a baby inside the carriage, police said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire’s newest proposal for Jackson, dubbed AMEX, targets nearly 500 acres with a patchwork of small clearcuts and is silent on tree sizes to be felled.—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
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Footage from the 1966 Italian documentary Africa Addio, of a herd of elephants being felled by both ground hunters and sharpshooters in helicopters, is distressing to watch.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relented. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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