RELENTED Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

relented

verb

past tense of relent

as in succumbed

to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) the supervisor finally relented in the face of the petition, and allowed employees to take longer lunch breaks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in subsided

to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the fury of the storm relented, and the next day the sun finally broke through the clouds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 relented Wagoner relented and Parton, with a song that captured the pain of deep heartbreak, embarked on a solo career almost incomparable in the history of American music. — CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 Payne, who was apparently in love with Shelley himself, sat on them for a little while, but eventually relented. — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Mourinho reacted by again threatening to leave, but relented after receiving further public backing from the president. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 The weather relented in the afternoon with just over three hours of play possible on the second day. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 When the paper imposed a fee, readers revolted; the editors relented in some editions. — Sam Roberts, Longreads, 11 Aug. 2026 But the agency later relented because of backlash from the pharmaceutical industry and public health experts. — Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026 But even as two or three of us lunged toward the rail in the hope of helping him, the lake relented. — James D. Oxley, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026 While temperatures have temporarily fallen, the overall heat hasn’t relented, as this Wednesday Japan’s Environment Ministry issued a heatstroke alert for most of western and southern Japan, per the Associated Press. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relented

Verb

One of the most famously arid national landmarks succumbed to deadly flash flooding over the weekend, leaving at least one person dead and more than a dozen unaccounted for as more rain could lash Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Monday.

— Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Latchford succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash, the release said.

— Aaron Valdez, Fox 19 Cincinnati, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of succumbed

Verb

Though impending rainstorms are likely to make rescue operations more difficult, officials say a previous threat from a lake that had formed on the border between Nepal and Tibet has substantially subsided.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Opinion polls gave the king firm backing to stay on for life, however, and the criticism subsided.

— Terje Solsvik, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of subsided

Verb

To date, patrons of the Central Arkansas Library System have submitted reconsideration requests only rarely.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2026
The team submitted a referral to Valley Oasis, a provider of trauma and homeless services and housing, a spokesman for the county Department of Homeless Services and Housing said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of submitted

Verb

Inside one, the individual is both multiplied and diminished.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
The persuasiveness of these efforts, however, is diminished when a WRO is modified without transparency and despite readily accessible evidence indicating that conditions for the workers have not truly improved.

— Charity Ryerson, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of diminished

Verb

Paul Skenes, last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner, lasted all of 4 2/3 innings, having surrendered five runs on eight hits.

— Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The search ended when Robinson surrendered at his local sheriff’s office, accompanied by his parents, who had recognized his picture in the news and convinced him to turn himself in.

— Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of surrendered

Verb

Rincker, a German immigrant, was known for casting the bell that hung from the first Cook County Courthouse, which was felled by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Frightened that she may be plagued by the same mental illness that felled her mom, Gemma stubbornly refuses to believe anything is wrong.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of fell

Browse Nearby Words

relent

relented

relenting

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Relented.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relented. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of relented

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes