1
as in to surrender
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the boy reluctantly relinquished the illegal fireworks to the police officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to abdicate
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the retiring CEO relinquished his position to the company's vice president with very mixed feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of relinquish
Many claim that water signs like Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces might require a good cry to relinquish emotions.
—
Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Sep. 2025
Brunschwig, who was previously Fendi chairman and CEO, had also been named chief strategy officer of OTB, but relinquished that role, too.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Communist Party leaders dismissed the Tibetan leader’s Strasbourg proposal in 1988, in which the Dalai Lama relinquished the demand for full independence and instead proposed genuine autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
She had been relinquished by her owner to another shelter for chronically attacking her own tail.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 5 Sep. 2025
Brunschwig, who was previously Fendi chairman and CEO, had also been named chief strategy officer of OTB, but relinquished that role, too.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Communist Party leaders dismissed the Tibetan leader’s Strasbourg proposal in 1988, in which the Dalai Lama relinquished the demand for full independence and instead proposed genuine autonomy for Tibet under Chinese sovereignty.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
She had been relinquished by her owner to another shelter for chronically attacking her own tail.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
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Authorities have not yet revealed the full details of how Robinson was detained, but multiple reports suggested that his father urged him to surrender after recognizing his son in the grainy surveillance footage released by police.—
Richard Hall,
Time,
14 Sep. 2025
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Once Bailey reached home, the official completion of a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, Bailey surrendered himself to the moment.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
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This isn't about abdicating responsibility.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Now that the mandate has been expanded to Nvidia's RTX Pro 6000D chip, rendering the company unable to sell any products to Chinese customers, according to a report by the Financial Times on Wednesday.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Although Lerner later resigned, the controversy became a lasting symbol of what Republicans call the weaponization of government against ideological opponents.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the last fortnight alone, Starmer's Deputy Prime Minister and close ally Angela Rayner has resigned after a house tax scandal, triggering a major cabinet reshuffle.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The first rapid prototype antenna was delivered in June 1998.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
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After 10 tumultuous years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kadri delivered his best campaign with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22, posting 89 points in the regular season and finishing by hoisting the Stanley Cup.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The term describes the conscious decision to avoid or renounce managerial roles in order to preserve mental health, maintain balance and prioritize meaningful work.—
Jose Luis Gonzalez Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Advertisement Lee also renounced any concept of gender roles, longing for full social equality regardless of gender or race.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ukrainians overwhelmingly reject ceding territory.—
Oleksandra Matviichuk,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Peace cannot be achieved by ceding sovereignty.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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