1
as in succumbed
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control)
one side finally capitulated when it became clear that they couldn't win the argument
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in surrendered
to yield to the control or power of enemy forces
the city reluctantly capitulated to the invaders after a three-day siege
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Recent Examples of capitulated
Less than a week later, however, Democrats resumed their old habits and capitulated to congressional Republicans to end the government shutdown, reminding everyone that despair is, in fact, a persistent theme of liberal politics.
—
Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Colombia capitulated within hours, and the crisis was resolved.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
The Republican president also has struggled to recover from public blowback on other issues, such as his management of the federal government, and has not seen an approval bump even after congressional Democrats effectively capitulated to end a record-long government shutdown last month.
—Linley Sanders, Fortune, 11 Dec. 2025
The Haitian leadership quickly capitulated and bloodshed was largely avoided.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 14 Nov. 2025
Tech companies have capitulated, and so have news organizations.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 14 Nov. 2025
Rather than spending millions in a relentless quest to solve the problems wrought by Coors Field, the Rockies appear to have capitulated to its whims.
—Andy McCullough, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
General Mills capitulated and brought back the original Trix, artificial dyes and all.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 8 Sep. 2025
Trump, who has sometimes seemed conflicted about the anti-vax sentiment in his coalition that prevents him from claiming more credit for Operation Warp Speed, has thoroughly capitulated to the political reality that Kennedy is a useful ally.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for capitulated
Verb
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Done in by Immanuel Quickley burying a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Hornets succumbed to the Toronto Raptors 97-96 at Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.—
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Trim away any roots that have succumbed to root rot.—
Verb
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Eventually, his parents surrendered to his passion for figure skating.—
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Meanwhile, the offense has surrendered just 10 tackles for loss and four sacks.—
Verb
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But under questioning from Cruz, Vladeck conceded that approving a nondisclosure order without any factual proffer would be inconsistent with a judge’s oath, if that hypothetical were true.—
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Some peers, smart ones, have conceded the death of this tradition.—
Verb
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Tips submitted anonymously to the hotline may be eligible for a reward of up to $25,000.—
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Tips may also be submitted anonymously through the P3 Tips smartphone app.—
Cite this Entry
“Capitulated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/capitulated. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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