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 The Democrats were ceding ground on immigration and deeply divided on Israel’s war in Gaza. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 But, for now, the race that will be watched is whether California may cede its status as the top location for Hollywood projects. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 For the rest of the show, Love sat in place, singing along but ceding his usual lead vocals and master of ceremonies roles to others. — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency ceded some of its climate authority by repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. — Lindsay Whitehurst, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 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
  • Although dozens of islands were claimed through this process, the overwhelming bulk of these claims were relinquished in the late 20th century as the island countries of Oceania began to achieve independence.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • But the pro-Israel lobby is not relinquishing its political power, evidenced by its move to give more than $9 million to support Mike Rogers in Michigan Senate race.
    — Praveena Somasundaram, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of relinquish
Verb
  • Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the vaccine with pembrolizumab or placebo injections alongside the immune treatment.
    — Mike McRae October 25, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Students were randomly assigned to the roles of guards or inmates, with the guards pressured to maintain order by any means necessary.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of assign
Verb
  • Naruhito assumed the duties of emperor, a position with ceremonial roles but no political power, after his father Akihito abdicated earlier in the year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of abdicate
Verb
  • Garza was shot twice with less-lethal bean bag rounds but did not surrender.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Compassion doesn’t mean that presidents or other public officials should bow to enemies or surrender common sense in tackling the world’s harsh realities.
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of surrender
Verb
  • Those tankers transfer oil to other tankers waiting in the Gulf of Oman for shipment to customers in Asia.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • A lot of uncertainty remains in the lift capacity of Starship, as well as in how much cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen will boil off in orbit and how efficient the process of transferring propellants from one ship to another will be.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of transfer
Verb
  • The officer, Shadrack Sibiya, resigned from the police service earlier this month following his arrest in September.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The debate intensified after Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned in September, publicly warning about the dangers of unchecked AI development.
    — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of resign
Verb
  • Musk reportedly ordered a slowdown of the military-grade Starlink service used by Ukraine, limiting the speeds at which connected hardware could travel and rendering some offensive and interceptor drones largely ineffective.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities confirmed that the water at the plant had not been chlorinated for about three weeks, rendering it unsafe for human consumption.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of render
Verb
  • Moghadam, speaking at a seminar in Islamabad, said that Iranian officials had conveyed their willingness to reopen the strait during visits to Tehran by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Muni r, provided Washington ended its blockade.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Commenters seem amused by the apparent gaffe and have chosen to convey their feelings through a plethora of puns, jokes and memes.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 23 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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