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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of cede
This may require ceding national sovereignty and reducing unanimous decision-making in some cases.
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Amanda Sloat, Time, 2 Jan. 2026
Holmes was the Bombers’ closer in 2024, before ceding his job to Weaver late in the season.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
Their 12-2-0 mark when opening the scoring is decidedly stronger than their 9-14-2 clip when ceding the first tally.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 30 Dec. 2025
Moscow has demanded that Ukraine cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia and has rejected security guarantees for Kyiv so far.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Dec. 2025
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for cede
Verb
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As Buffett relinquishes the helm, investors are increasingly focused on what disappears with him.—
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More typically, the figures in Marshall’s art are haunted by a past that refuses to relinquish its tenacious hold.—
Verb
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West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is preparing for his team of lawyers to make their argument in front of the top court, a case defending the state's Save Women's Sports Act, which prohibits those who were assigned male at birth from playing on competitive female sports teams.—
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Rice could look to roll with Neto to start while assigning more defensive duties to a forward, while Andrews and redshirt senior guard RJ Keene provide minutes off the bench.—
Verb
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The United States, in other words, is not just abdicating its role in the current international system.—
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The family's fate changed when King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 and his younger brother acceded to the throne, putting the firstborn Princess Elizabeth on the path to reign one day.—
Verb
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Leaning on do-everything running back Bijan Robinson would make a lot of sense, except the Colts hold teams to just 87 rushing yards per game (fourth fewest) and have surrendered only six rushing touchdowns in nine games.—
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Economic strain is one of the leading reasons animals are surrendered to shelters, spokesperson Kirsten Peek said.—
Verb
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Officers in certain other units, such as foot patrol and community resource officers, had been transferred to nightly patrol shifts.—
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Windward maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed the Marinera’s ownership had just been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.—
Verb
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Days later, another member of the finance team, Carrie Truver, resigned.—
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Meanwhile, county leaders, including Executive Bob Cassilly, are calling for the superintendent to resign or be terminated.—
Verb
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This transformation renders the target — the frozen limit — a finite object that a finite computer can handle.—
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Its three glittering diamonds had a powerful effect on Sophie Rhys-Jones—rendering her speechless.—
Verb
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As always, the bob is a cut that conveys power, confidence, and an effortless cool factor.—
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Fussell, the son of historians who traveled the Deep South before settling in North Carolina, conveys a sense of wonder that lends a cinematic quality to his reimaginings of old tunes.—
Cite this Entry
“Cede.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cede. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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