relinquish

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of relinquish are abandon, resign, surrender, waive, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

Where would abandon be a reasonable alternative to relinquish?

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

abandoned all hope

In what contexts can resign take the place of relinquish?

The synonyms resign and relinquish are sometimes interchangeable, but resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When is surrender a more appropriate choice than relinquish?

In some situations, the words surrender and relinquish are roughly equivalent. However, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

When can waive be used instead of relinquish?

The words waive and relinquish can be used in similar contexts, but waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When could yield be used to replace relinquish?

Although the words yield and relinquish have much in common, 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 relinquish Perhaps Sunday’s home opener against Indiana in front of a raucous Target Center crowd will revive Minnesota’s defensive intensity and the Wolves won’t relinquish it again from there. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 Oct. 2025 Case in point King Charles, who for years refused to take any steps about his brother but who now reportedly had a hand in Andrew deciding to relinquish his royal titles and honors. Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Oct. 2025 With runners on second and third base with one out, George Springer crushed a sinker from Mariners pitcher Eduard Bazardo 381 feet to the left-center field stands for a lead that would not be relinquished. Andrew Greif, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2025 However, Duxbury rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the set eventually and never relinquished it en route to the 25-20 win. Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for relinquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relinquish
Verb
  • Feeling the net tightening around him, Aydın surrendered to the Turkish consulate in São Paulo on July 1, 2020.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Once babies are surrendered they are given immediate medical attention and taken to the hospital.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Traditional media often abdicated those communities.
    David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The last time this protocol was used was when Edward VIII abdicated in 1936.
    Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Jenner went with a cohesive look, pairing the light brown boots with a Fendi suit rendered in a rich chocolate hue.
    Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That said, while each companion’s abilities bring something to the table, they get downed by enemies a lot, which renders their abilities unusable until they can be revived.
    Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Wall resigned from lobbying for Mooresville BTR a month after the Centralina vote accepting the grant.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos delivered a historic 33-point fourth-quarter comeback to beat the New York Giants and extend their win streak to four games while moving into first place in the AFC West with a 5-2 mark.
    Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
  • These candidates, expected to seek approval by 2026, use a special technology designed to deliver RNA therapeutics directly to muscle tissue.
    Reuters, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Verb
  • Subsequently, pressure mounted from Republicans for Jones to exit the race—a move which, at this late stage, would effectively cede the election.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine cede territory in any agreement to end the war.
    Joey Garrison, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Relinquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relinquish. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on relinquish

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