cede

verb

ˈsēd How to pronounce cede (audio)
Definition of cedenext
1
as in to relinquish
to give (something) over to the control or possession of another usually under duress she reluctantly ceded her position as leader

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2
as in to assign
to give over the legal possession or ownership of Spain ceded Puerto Rico to the United States as part of the settlement of the Spanish-American War

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3
as in to abdicate
to give up (as a position of authority) formally the President officially cedes his position on the January 20th immediately following the presidential election

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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 cede Other leaders seem resigned to the fact that this 80-year global experiment in cooperative international relations has ceded the floor once again to the world order of coercion that dictated most of human history. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026 Opponents of the bills, however — mostly water districts and business and agricultural associations — said the measures ceded too much control to tribes and could slow in particular efforts at water development, at a pivotal moment for the state. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026 That war of wills ended with the Emirates ceding control of Bab el-Mandeb — along with the nearby island of Perim, where the Emirates had built a drone airbase — to Saudi Arabia. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026 The chain of more than 60 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the tip of India, south of the Maldives, has been under British control since 1814, when they were ceded by France. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cede
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
  1. relinquish
  2. assign
  3. abdicate
  4. surrender
  5. transfer
  6. resign
  7. render
  8. convey
Verb
  • She was only forced to relinquish the title when she was drafted to the Raw brand.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Moon, meanwhile, is struggling at school but on the precipice of adulthood; as the young woman begins to make her own decisions in life, Yue must relinquish a degree of maternal responsibility.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • The airman was assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, out of Nellis Air Force Base.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • All registered voters were assigned a probability of voting to produce likely voter results.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of assign
Verb
  • After both sisters had abdicated planning the memorial, logistical matters—the casket and its transport, the readings, and, yes, the flowers—had fallen to the front desk volunteer of a church my grandmother no longer attended.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Now, the Department has decided that obedience supersedes all else, requiring us to abdicate our legal and ethical obligations in favor of directions from Washington.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of abdicate
Verb
  • She was ordered to surrender all travel documents, including passports and visas.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Deputies entered the home Friday morning after efforts to persuade Mullennix to surrender were unsuccessful.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrender
Verb
  • The 56-year-old was transferred on Friday from FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey to FCI Allenwood, a low-security prison in Pennsylvania, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed with The Times.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Through its Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) programme, the service aims to develop modular systems that can be transferred between different military vehicles to expand air defense capabilities beyond specialized units.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • Big banks made changes to overdraft fees and fraud protections following previous testimony, for example, while former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf abruptly resigned in 2016 after stumbling during hearings on the bank’s fake accounts scandal.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Guilfoyle confirmed her exit in a post on X, shortly after the new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, told reporters that the administration had asked her to resign.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of resign
Verb
  • All of this can make inflation a self-fulfilling prophecy, rendering the monetary policy tools at the Fed's disposal less effective in slowing price growth.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Vivier’s signature buckle can be rendered in gold or silver, with colored brass available on select styles.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of render
Verb
  • On the microphone, his promos conveyed a no-nonsense intensity that equally gripped viewers.
    — Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Whether that’s a silk cami, a corset, or even a tube top, the pairing conveys a cool-girl vibe perfect for date night or dinner with friends.
    — Tatiana Ojea, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of convey

Browse Nearby Words

ceasing
cede
ceded
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Cite this Entry

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

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