ACQUIESCE Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'acquiesce' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of acquiesce are accede , agree , assent , consent , and subscribe . While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition. // acquiesced to his boss's wishes

Q: When is it sensible to use 'accede' instead of 'acquiesce'?

The words accede and acquiesce can be used in similar contexts, but accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent. // officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

Q: When would 'agree' be a good substitute for 'acquiesce'?

Although the words agree and acquiesce have much in common, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion. // finally agreed to come along

Q: When could 'assent' be used to replace 'acquiesce'?

The meanings of assent and acquiesce largely overlap; however, assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions. // voters assented to the proposal

Q: When is 'consent' a more appropriate choice than 'acquiesce'?

While the synonyms consent and acquiesce are close in meaning, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired. // consented to their daughter's going

Q: When can 'subscribe' be used instead of 'acquiesce'?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquiesce , subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support. // subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

acquiesce

verb

ˌa-kwē-ˈes

Definition of acquiesce

as in to agree

to give or express one's approval (as to a proposal) apparently the contractor expected me to acquiesce to my own fleecing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word acquiesce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of acquiesce are accede, agree, assent, consent, and subscribe. While all these words mean "to concur with what has been proposed," acquiesce implies tacit acceptance or forbearance of opposition.

acquiesced to his boss's wishes

When is it sensible to use accede instead of acquiesce?

The words accede and acquiesce can be used in similar contexts, but accede implies a yielding, often under pressure, of assent or consent.

officials acceded to the prisoners' demands

When would agree be a good substitute for acquiesce?

Although the words agree and acquiesce have much in common, agree sometimes implies previous difference of opinion or attempts at persuasion.

finally agreed to come along

When could assent be used to replace acquiesce?

The meanings of assent and acquiesce largely overlap; however, assent implies an act involving the understanding or judgment and applies to propositions or opinions.

voters assented to the proposal

When is consent a more appropriate choice than acquiesce?

While the synonyms consent and acquiesce are close in meaning, consent involves the will or feelings and indicates compliance with what is requested or desired.

consented to their daughter's going

When can subscribe be used instead of acquiesce?

While in some cases nearly identical to acquiesce, subscribe implies not only consent or assent but hearty approval and active support.

subscribes wholeheartedly to the idea

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 acquiesce The transfer from 2012 came a few days before Israel announced the end of a military operation in Gaza; not long after, Netanyahu effectively acquiesced to Sheikh Hamad’s visit. — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026 Even absent Chinese aggression, people in Taiwan increasingly identify as Taiwanese and do not seem inclined to repeat Hong Kong’s experience of acquiescing to Chinese rule. — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026 Charles ultimately acquiesced rather than face a possible order he be presented by force. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026 Nearly forgotten is how 13 months later a hesitant Kennedy emerged, one who ignored his own instincts and reluctantly acquiesced to a coup in South Vietnam cooked up by middle-ranking aides to stabilize a chaotic country coming apart at the seams. — Clifford Krauss, Air Mail, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for acquiesce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acquiesce

Verb

Lee agrees to visit Mekka, which brings us to the episode’s title.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has agreed to halt Ukraine's monthslong campaign targeting Russian oil refineries that caused fuel shortages for Russians.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of agree

Verb

False endorsement and misappropriation, FanDuel could insist, are inapplicable to a personalized video setting where the video’s talent voluntarily assents in exchange for compensation.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 July 2026
Their mothers assented because anything the cousins did together could be considered family time.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 June 2026

Definition of assent

Verb

One reason for his endorsement is that Bass declined to consent to Mejia performing an audit into her signature homelessness program Inside Safe.

— Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
But dating apps are not largely not transparent about how personal information is stored, analyzed, and shared and require you to legally consent to sharing data.

— Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of consent

Verb

Kyiv briefly acceded to the request, but has since resumed attacks — and Russia has continued to pound Ukraine’s energy infrastructure throughout the week.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Which would entail the young girl acceding to a reality in which women sometimes deserved to be tortured to death.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of accede

Browse Nearby Words

acquaints

acquiesce

acquiesced

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Acquiesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acquiesce. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of acquiesce

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of acquiesce

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to acquiesce

Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes