The pirates had no choice but to surrender.
Source: tatoeba (22159)
Surrender
/səˈɹɛndə(ɹ)/
Synonyms for "surrender" (345 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (69)
Noun(9 words)
capitulationyieldingappomattoxbury your hopescapitulatecapitulatingcapitulation to pressurecapitulationscessions
Verb(8 words)
abalienateabalienationabandonabandonmentabatement of differencesabdicateabdicationabjurationabjureabjurementaccommodateaccommodationaccordanceacknowledge defeatacquiesceadjustadjustmentalienalienatealienation
Show 32 more words
amortizationamortizeamortizementappeasementarrangementassignassignationassignmentawardawardingbargainbargain and salebarterbeg a trucebequeathbequeathalbestowalbestowmentcancelcapitulatecapitulationcastcaveceasecedecedingcessioncirculatecome acrosscome across withcome to termscommit
Strong matches (104)
communicationcomplycomposecompositioncompoundcompromiseconcedeconcessionconferconfermentconferralconsignconsignationconsignmentcontributionconveyconveyanceconveyancingcop outcop-out
Show 58 more words
crumblecry paxcry quitsdealdedicatedeeddeed overdeedingdeliverdeliver overdeliverancedeliverydemisedesertion of principledesistdesist fromdespairdevolve upondisgorgedispensationdispense withdisposaldispose ofdispositiondistributedo withoutdonationdropdropping outduck responsibilitydumpdumpingendowmentenfeoffenfeoffmententrustevade responsibilityevasion of responsibilityexchangeforgoforgoingfork overforsakeforswearforswearingforwardfurnishmentget along withoutget rid ofgetting rid ofgiftinggivegive and takegive awaygive ingive outgive overgive title to
Noun(13 words)
Verb(13 words)
concedesdeliverdeploredisgorgesextraditeextraditedextraditesfall in lineforfeitedgive an examplegive ingive in to impulsesgive over
Related words (172)
give upgive waygive-and-takegivinggiving ingiving overgiving upgiving waygo downgo fifty-fiftygo undergrantgrantinghandhand downhand inhand onhand outhand overhanding over
Show 110 more words
have done withimpartationimpartmentimplore mercyinvestiturekiss good byekiss good-byelay bylay downlease and releaseleaveleave offletting goliberalitylosemake a dealmake a sacrificemake an adjustmentmake concessionsmake overmeerschaummeet halfwaymutual concessionnegotiateofferpartpart withpasspass onpass outpass overplay politicspray for quarterpresentationpresentmentprovisionquitquitclaimreachreach a compromiserecantrecantationrecedencerecessionreleaserelinquishrelinquishmentrenderrender uprenouncerenouncementrenunciationresignresignationretireretractretractionretreatridriddancesacrificesalesay unclesellsettlesettle onsettlementsettlingsignsign awaysign oversoftensparesplit the differencestrike a balancestrike a bargainsubmissionsubmissivesubmitsubscriptionsuccumbsupplyingswear offswearing offtake the meanthrow uptradetradingtransfertransferencetransferraltransmissiontransmittransmittalturnturn inturn overturn upturning overunderstandingvacatevestingvouchsafementwaivewaiverwhite flagwithdrawingyieldyield the palmyielding
Verb(18 words)
give wayknuckle underpartedrelinquishrelinquishedrelinquishesreturnstrike one's flagstrike the colorsstrike the flagsubmitsuccumb to fatiguethrow in the towelthrow up one's handsturn inwaiveswave the white flagyield
Noun(24 words)
giving uppart of sciencepartingpartsproduction yieldrelinquishrelinquishingrenouncerenunciationresignationrestitutionsubmissionsuccumbencesuccumbingsurrenderingto give waytransferunhandingwaivewaiving
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: capitulation, cede, give up, yielding, abalienate.
- Sentence evidence is available for surrender, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "surrender".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "surrender"
Keep "surrender" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "surrender" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "surrender", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "surrender" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
21 entriesShowing 16 of 21 words.
More specific
11 entriesCollocations
12 entriesact of surrenderconditional surrendermilitary surrendersurrender a licensesurrender ceremonysurrender controlsurrender the weaponsurrender tosurrender to authoritiessurrender your rightsterms of surrenderunconditional surrender
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesSample sentences
13 total sentences available.
We must surrender them all.
Source: tatoeba (51655)
Under the circumstances we have no choice but to surrender.
Source: tatoeba (239612)
The alternative to surrender is death.
Source: tatoeba (241203)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "surrender"?
Closest matches include capitulation, cede, give up, yielding, abalienate.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "surrender"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.