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
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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
In this telling, Ashaal refused to relinquish control of the base to Aden authorities, leading a rival to dispose of him.
—
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Kentucky opened the game’s scoring, but the Longhorns responded with a 15-0 first-quarter scoring run and never relinquished the lead.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The Beall property was at one time in Fort Worth’s ETJ, but Beall petitioned the city to relinquish it.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Kentucky opened the game’s scoring, but the Longhorns responded with a 15-0 first-quarter scoring run and never relinquished the lead.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 28 Mar. 2026
The United States has offered Iran a 15-point proposal for a ceasefire that includes it relinquishing control of the strait, but at the same time has ordered thousands more troops to the region — possibly in preparation for a military attempt to wrest the waterway from Iran.
—David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
The Beall property was at one time in Fort Worth’s ETJ, but Beall petitioned the city to relinquish it.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
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Many of those animals are surrendered when their owners can no longer properly care for them, an issue that Alessandro Catenazzi, associate professor of biological science at Florida International University, stressed.—
Julian Camejo,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Lukáš Dostál surrendered six goals on 29 shots, with culpability to spread around between him and his defense.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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RadarOnline reported that the King is planning to abdicate soon.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
27 Mar. 2026
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In its most hostile version, the same qualities are recast as evidence of his succumbing to spectacle and abdicating basic architectural responsibility.—
Julian Rose,
Artforum,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gulf nations are highly reliant on desalination for fresh water, and damage to the region’s hundreds of plants could render its major cities unlivable, The Associated Press reported; attacks by any side could constitute war crimes.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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The fresh precipitation had rendered the thin roads above Lake Tahoe almost indistinguishable from the frosted forests around them.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sinagra said that Brooksby resigned as a consequence of the complaints, but disagreed with them.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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Recently, Joe Kent, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned earlier this month in opposition to the war, went on Tucker Carlson’s show.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The other standout was the breakfast basket that gets delivered like clockwork to your room each morning, including fresh pastries, muesli, fruit, yogurt, eggs, coffee, and juice.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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Jaime, who had on a yellow reflective vest and a helmet, held up his phone near his supervisor’s and, courtesy of the FarEye app, instantly received the coördinates for the packages—a total of forty-five—he’d be delivering.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Should the chain of citizenship break somewhere along the line, however, where an ancestor renounced their citizenship, rights to Canadian citizenship end there.—
Vivian Song,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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The German Jews were the founders of American Reform Judaism, which renounced dietary laws, bar mitzvahs, and Zionism.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Marathas ceded Nagar Haveli to the Portuguese in 1783 as compensation for a Portuguese vessel that their navy had destroyed.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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But others can ask to maintain more creative control if interested, rather than the traditional practice of ceding it to the industry.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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