yield 1 of 2

verb

ˈyēld How to pronounce yield (audio)
Definition of yieldnext
1
as in to succumb
to give up and cease resistance (as to a liking, temptation, or habit) I finally yielded to temptation and had a bowl of ice cream

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2
as in to give
to produce as revenue I expect that stock to yield at least 14% profit this year

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3
as in to submit
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) after initially balking at the order, the soldier yielded when the commanding officer threatened a formal charge of insubordination

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4
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) the sort of embarrassing question that seldom yields an honest answer

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5
as in to collapse
to fall down or in as a result of physical pressure the door soon yielded to the battering ram

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6
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress refusing to yield the city to enemy troops

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7
as in to surrender
to give (oneself) over to something especially unrestrainedly she yielded herself to temptation and booked a month-long vacation in the Bahamas like she'd wanted to for years

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yield

2 of 2

noun

1
as in revenue
an increase usually measured in money that comes from labor, business, or property the stock's yield has increased over the years

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2
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort wheat farmers were able to increase the yield per acre substantially

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3
as in bounty
the total amount collected or obtained especially at one time the yield from the police department's buyback program for firearms was staggering

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb yield differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of yield are capitulate, defer, relent, submit, and succumb. While all these words mean "to give way to someone or something that one can no longer resist," yield may apply to any sort or degree of giving way before force, argument, persuasion, or entreaty.

yields too easily in any argument

When could capitulate be used to replace yield?

The words capitulate and yield are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is it sensible to use defer instead of yield?

The synonyms defer and yield are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

In what contexts can relent take the place of yield?

Although the words relent and yield have much in common, relent implies a yielding through pity or mercy by one who holds the upper hand.

finally relented and let the children stay up late

When might submit be a better fit than yield?

In some situations, the words submit and yield are roughly equivalent. However, 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 succumb be a good substitute for yield?

While the synonyms succumb and yield are close in meaning, 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

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 yield
Verb
His pressure campaign has yet to yield significant results in the US. —Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025 The company provides process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor industries, including defect inspection, metrology (the science of measurement), process monitoring, computational lithography, and data analytics products. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
Credit spreads are at their tightest in about 20 years, meaning there is little difference in yields between corporate bonds compared to government bonds. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025 Stablecoin staking has also gained traction, with many users drawn to potential annual yields in the 10% to 20% range as a way to avoid the constant price volatility of the market. —Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yield
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yield
  1. succumb
  2. give
  3. submit
  4. cause
  5. collapse
  6. relinquish
  7. surrender
  8. revenue
Verb
  • Here are some steps to prevent your team from succumbing to the sense of powerlessness associated with the Great Lock-In trend.
    — Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • 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
Definition of succumb
Verb
  • What was meant to be a moment of silence for Kirk on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday evening soon gave way to flashes of a vitriolic political divide that would escalate in the aftermath of the 31-year-old’s death.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The development pool is designed to give younger players access to daily practices, training sessions and a dedicated performance staff.
    — Roberta F. Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Definition of give
Verb
  • In order to advance to the semifinalist round, brands had to submit clinical data backing up their claims.
    — Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The proposal was submitted by Jay Butera, 67, a staunch climate advocate and investor who has held shares in Tesla since the company’s 2010 IPO.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of submit
Verb
  • Our brains evolve against friction, which means challenges that are difficult enough to promote growth but not so overwhelming as to cause surrender.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • There have been several Republican senatorial candidates who have caused major headaches for the party.
    — Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of cause
Verb
  • By this time, the Soviet Union had collapsed, leading Manuylov to start a business in the candy trade.
    — Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Luckily, the airport had a failsafe in the form of a ground material designed to collapse under the plane's weight and stop it in its tracks.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Keeping the agreement with Norris in mind, McLaren intervened in the situation by asking Piastri to relinquish second place to Norris.
    — Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • In May 2025, Kraft Heinz announced a strategic review aimed at unlocking shareholder value, and Berkshire Hathaway relinquished its board seats, signaling potential structural changes.
    — Joe Cornell, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of surrender
Noun
  • Qualcomm bets big on autos Qualcomm’s biggest revenue driver is the chips that power smartphones from players including Samsung and Xiaomi.
    — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • At constant exchange rates, the decrease stood at 2 percent, while the Roman fashion house trumpeted that its direct retail, including e-commerce, improved 5 percent last year and represented 70 percent of revenues.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of revenue

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yet
yield
yielded
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Cite this Entry

“Yield.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yield. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on yield

Nglish: Translation of yield for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about yield

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