surrender

To stop fighting and accept that the enemy has won.

• The soldiers surrendered.
• The army refused to surrender to the enemy.
• Will the troops surrender before dawn?

How to use it: surrender to someone (The remaining troops surrendered to the opposing army.)

Similar words: give up, capitulate

Opposites: resist

Common phrases: surrender to someone, refuse to surrender

To let a more powerful person take control of you, especially by becoming their prisoner.

• The thief surrendered.
• She surrendered to the police outside her house.
• The escaped prisoner finally surrendered himself.

How to use it: surrender to someone (The suspect surrendered to the officers.); surrender yourself to someone (He surrendered himself to the police.)

Similar words: give yourself up, give in

Opposites: resist

Common phrases: surrender to someone, surrender yourself

To give someone something you have, or stop keeping a right or advantage.

• Please surrender your weapons.
• She surrendered her passport to the court.
• They will never surrender their right to vote.

How to use it: surrender something to someone (All visitors must surrender their phones to the guard.)

Similar words: give up, hand over, relinquish

Opposites: retain

Common phrases: surrender something, surrender your passport, surrender control

To stop fighting against a feeling or desire and let it control you.

• He surrendered to sleep.
• She would not surrender to despair.
• For a moment, I surrendered myself to the music.

How to use it: surrender to something (He finally surrendered to exhaustion.); surrender yourself to something (She surrendered herself to the joy of the moment.)

Similar words: give in, yield

Opposites: resist

Common phrases: surrender to sleep, surrender to something, surrender yourself

The act of stopping a fight or struggle and accepting another person’s control.

• The army announced its surrender.
• The enemy demanded unconditional surrender.
• Her quiet surrender to grief worried her friends.

How to use it: surrender to someone/something (Their surrender to the enemy ended the battle.)

Similar words: capitulation, submission

Opposites: resistance

Common phrases: unconditional surrender, accept surrender, surrender to someone