relented; relenting; relents
1
a
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict usually from reasons of humanity
b
: to cease resistance : give in
Examples of relent in a Sentence
Our application was initially refused, but the city relented in the end and the permit was issued.
They had refused to pay and relented only after being threatened with a lawsuit.
The winds would not relent.
Recent Examples on the Web
More legal challenges followed from the state, which at last relented in 2020, declining to retry Skakel.
—
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
After hours of talks, Zelensky relented, allowing the IAEA team to proceed.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The Indians’ enthusiasm to improve hasn’t relented.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
The woman initially protested the arrangement but relented to avoid causing a scene around other colleagues.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relent
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.
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025
After hours of talks, Zelensky relented, allowing the IAEA team to proceed.
—Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
The Indians’ enthusiasm to improve hasn’t relented.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 22 Oct. 2025
The woman initially protested the arrangement but relented to avoid causing a scene around other colleagues.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relent
Cite this Entry
“Relent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
relent
verb
re·lent
ri-ˈlent 
1
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict
2
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share