SURRENDER Synonyms: 151 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'surrender' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of surrender are abandon , relinquish , resign , waive , and yield . While all these words mean "to give up completely," surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist. // surrendered their claims

Q: In what contexts can 'abandon' take the place of 'surrender'?

While the synonyms abandon and surrender are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up. // abandoned all hope

Q: When might 'relinquish' be a better fit than 'surrender'?

The synonyms relinquish and surrender are sometimes interchangeable, but relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness. // relinquished her crown

Q: When would 'resign' be a good substitute for 'surrender'?

The words resign and surrender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle. // resigned her position

Q: When can 'waive' be used instead of 'surrender'?

The meanings of waive and surrender largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion. // waived the right to a trial by jury

Q: When is it sensible to use 'yield' instead of 'surrender'?

In some situations, the words yield and surrender are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force. // the troops yielded ground grudgingly

surrender 1 of 2

verb

sə-ˈren-dər

Definition of surrender

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

surrender

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

resistance

Synonym Chooser

How is the word surrender different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of surrender are abandon, relinquish, resign, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

In what contexts can abandon take the place of surrender?

While the synonyms abandon and surrender are close in meaning, abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When might relinquish be a better fit than surrender?

The synonyms relinquish and surrender are sometimes interchangeable, but relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When would resign be a good substitute for surrender?

The words resign and surrender are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When can waive be used instead of surrender?

The meanings of waive and surrender largely overlap; however, waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When is it sensible to use yield instead of surrender?

In some situations, the words yield and surrender are roughly equivalent. However, yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

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 surrender

Verb

Altman ordered Roberts remanded to federal custody and directed that his passport be surrendered to his attorney. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 That was Fred Claire personified, honest to the end, refusing to sacrifice his integrity, never surrendering his dignity. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Noun

The surrenders reflect a broader challenge the organization is seeing among pet owners, as rising veterinary and other care costs, along with housing restrictions, put increasing pressure on families trying to care for their animals. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2026 But the rate should be weighed against the insurer's financial strength, surrender schedule, withdrawal rules and guarantee period. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for surrender

Recent Examples of Synonyms for surrender

Verb

Moon, meanwhile, is struggling at school but on the precipice of adulthood; as the young woman begins to make her own decisions in life, Yue must relinquish a degree of maternal responsibility.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
With all the characters in the show, but with Margaret in particular, there’s this exploration of losing control, taking control and relinquishing control.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of relinquish

Verb

Bakker was forced to resign from his empire, turning over operations to pastor and broadcaster Jerry Falwell.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Fields said she was reassigned after taking her concerns beyond her direct chain of command, and ultimately resigned.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of resign

Verb

In 2009, armed men stopped a convoy of civilians, relatives, lawyers and journalists heading to submit election filings in Maguindanao and killed 58 people, at least 32 of them journalists and media workers.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
An Anthropic artificial intelligence model submitted a false tip to a Philadelphia police website about an unsolved homicide case, authorities and Anthropic said.

— Mae Anderson, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of submit

Verb

His current employer is Damien Cantor, an authentically sleazy and slippery character who operates under no discernible code beyond indulging a dumb, preening narcissism.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
My daughter was enchanted by the Balinese rice-on-the-forehead ritual for good fortune that is a part of the arrival, and the front desk staff happily indulged her request to do it again—multiple times a day.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of indulge

Verb

Two decades ago, Nvidia was largely known for manufacturing the GPUs that allowed computers to render 3D graphics on videogames.

— Tamlin Magee, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Cress agreed with Sacramento County prosecutors, who argued Kaur did not get out of her sport utility vehicle to check on the unconscious Lopez after striking his motorcycle or attempt to render aid.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of render

Browse Nearby Words

surreality

surrender

surrendered

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Surrender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surrender. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of surrender

verb

noun

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