as in to resign
to give up (as a position of authority) formally
the revolutionary government forced Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian throne
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Recent Examples of abdicate
In June, the King spoke about the possibility of abdicating to make way for his daughter.
—
Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Instead of standing as a safeguard, Congress has abdicated its responsibility and has been a rubber stamp for the president’s unconstitutional whims.
—Trena Turner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
When the federal government abdicates its responsibility for public health, states, localities, and communities of experts can still try to fill the void.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Instead of standing as a safeguard, Congress has abdicated its responsibility and has been a rubber stamp for the president’s unconstitutional whims.
—Trena Turner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
When the federal government abdicates its responsibility for public health, states, localities, and communities of experts can still try to fill the void.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025
The federal government has functionally abdicated its role in keeping Americans safe from dangerous illness.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abdicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicate
Verb
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As a direct result of this, businesses end up with managers who aren’t confident in their ability to lead, and who struggle to deal with the various challenges that come with managing people, leading both employees and struggling managers to resign.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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Wall resigned from lobbying for Mooresville BTR a month after the Centralina vote accepting the grant.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Prior to his takeover, the sister pageants suffered some shakeups, most notably after the 2023 adult and junior winners, Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastav, relinquished their titles.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
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This incident comes just days after Prince Andrew relinquished his remaining royal titles.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Royalist émigrés began to trickle back into the country in 1795, and a number of Jacobins who renounced their earlier radicalism were also reintegrated into civil society.—
Time,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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Hamas members who renounce violence will be granted amnesty or safe passage, while those who continue resistance will be excluded from Gaza’s future governance.—
Morgan Phillips,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abdicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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