1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress
the toddler surrendered the doll to her mother after a brief struggle the commander surrendered the garrison without having fired a single shot
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Relevance
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2
as in to succumb
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
the father refused to surrender to his son's constant begging for a BB gun
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3
as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the aging queen refused to surrender the throne to her increasingly impatient heir
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4
as in to submit
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit)
determined to give up smoking, she so far has not surrendered to her incessant desire to have a cigarette
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5
as in to capitulate
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, thus ending the Civil War
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6
as in to indulge
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly
laid-off workers who surrender themselves to despair will almost certainly never regain their footing
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as in submission
the usually forced yielding of one's person or possessions to the control of another
the police demanded the surrender of all hostages as a condition for allowing the hijackers safe passage out of the country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of surrender
Ian Miller Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Kollra ordered Gallagher, who is on house arrest, to surrender her passport and avoid contacting Burke’s relatives.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Adela Suliman,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
In an October 2025 incident, a man armed with a rifle shot down one of the drones operated by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office before officers negotiated his surrender.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Verb
He was also instructed not to contact the six co-defendants in the case, along with surrendering his passport and being subject to home confinement in Tallahassee.
—
Ian Miller Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Kollra ordered Gallagher, who is on house arrest, to surrender her passport and avoid contacting Burke’s relatives.
—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2026
Noun
The note was dictated and signed by Washington and given to Charles Cornwallis, Britain’s lieutenant general commanding the southern campaign, in Yorktown, Virginia, following the British request to end hostilities to agree to the terms of its surrender.
—
Adela Suliman,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
In an October 2025 incident, a man armed with a rifle shot down one of the drones operated by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office before officers negotiated his surrender.
—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for surrender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender
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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Sydney briefly, and understandably, succumbed to the impulse to lash out, something that Carmy has done on more than one occasion while acting as head chef.
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Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene, while Andrew succumbed to his injuries six days later.
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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At that point, Mills said, Kamlager-Dove’s office submitted inquiries to the Postal Service asking about the reason for the closure and what is being done to alleviate the burden on customers.
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To qualify, a patient's provider must submit a prior authorization request showing that the patient is being prescribed a GLP-1 for weight loss.
Verb
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At the same time, centrists swung against a left that had indulged its purist tendencies.
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Throughout the evening, Angela eagerly seeks Hawk and Piña’s approval, while Joe refuses to indulge them.
Noun
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The statement amounted to a complete submission to Thomas, who used her Tuesday media availability to blast Engelbert.
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With three different categories, judges from across the USA TODAY Network ranked each submission in order to narrow down the contest to just 30 finalists.
Verb
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About 11,000 light-years away from Earth, the supernova Cassiopeia A’s X-rays (seen above) are rendered in blue and purple, while infrared wavelengths are shown in red and white using data from JWST.
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Still, Twain squandered his own fortune and Livy’s inheritance on developing Paige’s invention, even as the Mergenthaler Linotype became the industry standard, rendering Paige’s machine worthless.
Verb
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El Tri is averaging two goals a game and has yet to concede one.
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Mexico remains unbeaten in this year’s tournament and has won four out of four games without conceding a goal.
Cite this Entry
“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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