succumb

verb

sə-ˈkəm How to pronounce succumb (audio)
Definition of succumbnext
1
as in to submit
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) he finally succumbed and let his wife get rid of his dilapidated easy chair

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to surrender
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit) refused to succumb to her fears and defiantly walked through the dark cemetery

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to die
to stop living the patient lay so still and pale that everyone thought he had succumbed, and then he opened his eyes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to capitulate
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces the doctor worked tirelessly until finally he, too, succumbed to the fever

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb succumb differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of succumb are capitulate, defer, relent, submit, and yield. While all these words mean "to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist," succumb implies weakness and helplessness to the one that gives way or an overwhelming power to the opposing force.

a stage actor succumbing to the lure of Hollywood

When could capitulate be used to replace succumb?

Although the words capitulate and succumb have much in common, capitulate stresses the fact of ending all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms (as with an adversary) or hopelessness in the face of an irresistible opposing force.

officials capitulated to the protesters' demands

In what contexts can defer take the place of succumb?

While in some cases nearly identical to succumb, defer implies a voluntary yielding or submitting out of respect or reverence for or deference and affection toward another.

I defer to your expertise in these matters

When is relent a more appropriate choice than succumb?

The words relent and succumb are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

Where would submit be a reasonable alternative to succumb?

The synonyms submit and succumb are sometimes interchangeable, but submit suggests full surrendering after resistance or conflict to the will or control of another.

a repentant sinner vowing to submit to the will of God

When would yield be a good substitute for succumb?

The meanings of yield and succumb largely overlap; however, yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of succumb That’s a victory of sorts in itself: Paul is among the least likely Republicans to succumb to pressure from Trump. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 June 2025 First responders have since found both succumbed to exposure. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 4 June 2025 The Dodgers hold just a single-game lead in the National League West division as their pitching staff continues to succumb to persistent injuries. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025 Sadly, Verstappen is not the only multiple-time world champion to succumb to such behavior. —ArsTechnica, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for succumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for succumb
  1. submit
  2. surrender
  3. die
  4. concede
  5. yield
  6. perish
  7. budge
  8. fall
Verb
  • Applications will be reviewed in the order they are submitted.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • Prospective candidates had until May 30 to submit their applications.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 June 2025
Definition of submit
Verb
  • Pickard’s only goal surrendered was the one from Sam Reinhart that tied Game 4 with 19.5 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025
  • Like any other member of the public, Ye was required to take off his belt, empty his pockets, and surrender his electronic devices before going through a metal detector.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 13 June 2025
Definition of surrender
Verb
  • Wayne Lewis, founding member of hit R&B group Atlantic Starr, died on Thursday (June 5).
    — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 9 June 2025
  • Sly Stone, a funk pioneer whose influence and impact as leader of the musical group Sly and the Family Stone was as enduring as his career was brief, died Monday in Los Angeles.
    — Rob Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Definition of die
Verb
  • Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set.
    — Jerome Pugmire, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
  • However, after the first, Canady only conceded two hits and accumulated four strikeouts in the next four innings.
    — Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of concede
Verb
  • Modest improvements to the weakest link usually yield more value than myopic focus on perfecting a single, siloed initiative.
    — James Blake, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
  • On average, a year’s worth of screenings yields nine million positive results—of which 8.8 million are false.
    — Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Definition of yield
Verb
  • For salespeople, especially, the rule is adapt or perish.
    — Levi King, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The idea was about what the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would look like if all but one perished.
    — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Definition of perish
Verb
  • Trump has touted harsher penalties if Putin doesn't budge on peace.
    — Shane Croucher John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
  • Members of California's congressional delegation joined Gov. Gavin Newsom in appealing FEMA's decision but so far the agency hasn't budged on its decision not to conduct further testing.
    — Kirk Siegler, NPR, 2 June 2025
Definition of budge
Verb
  • Americans celebrate Flag Day, which falls on Saturday, June 14, in many ways, including parades, ceremonies and educational events designed to encourage respect for the flag and its significance.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 15 June 2025
  • Wolfe's consistent buyback basket screens for companies that have such a track record of stock repurchases that their share counts have fallen for at least 10 straight years.
    — Brian Evans, CNBC, 15 June 2025
Definition of fall

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succumb
succumbed
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“Succumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/succumb. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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