abdicating

verb

present participle of abdicate
as in relinquishing
to give up (as a position of authority) formally the revolutionary government forced Nicholas II to abdicate the Russian throne

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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 abdicating Despite everything, Harald never considered abdicating the throne. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 This is what the impeachment process was designed for, to remove public officials abdicating their responsibilities. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 They’d be upset about Article One of the Constitution, the legislative branch abdicating its powers; that is, the people’s power to wage war and to levy tariffs. — Ken Burns, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026 Dinello was right, and The Late Show eventually became late night’s ratings leader—a throne that CBS is now voluntarily abdicating. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 Congress abdicating its authority. — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 In its most hostile version, the same qualities are recast as evidence of his succumbing to spectacle and abdicating basic architectural responsibility. — Julian Rose, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2026 Democratic leaders have accused Congress of abdicating its constitutional role, and some members plan to boycott the address or attend in silent protest. — Nik Popli, Time, 23 Feb. 2026 The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system. — Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abdicating
  1. relinquishing
  2. resigning
  3. renouncing
Verb
  • 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
  • One panel was falling, then smashing on the path, lead relinquishing its long grip on the glass.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of relinquishing
Verb
  • David Robinson, who led the writing of OpenAI’s safety reports before resigning, cited the Hugging Face incident as one sign of a broader problem.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The 1989 Charlotte federal trial was pure spectacle Two years after resigning, Bakker was convicted in Charlotte on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of resigning
Verb
  • Although economic espionage is not without risk, unilaterally renouncing the practice in the current global environment is far more dangerous.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Eric Lai, a senior fellow with the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said every actor in Hong Kong civil society who assumed that renouncing violence and working within the law would be fine has to revise that assumption.
    — Kanis Leung, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of renouncing

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Cite this Entry

“Abdicating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abdicating. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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