surrender
Americanverb (used with object)
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surrenders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
surrendered,
past participle, past
-
surrendering
present participle
-
to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress.
to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.
-
to give (oneself ) up, as to the police.
-
to give (oneself ) up to some influence, course, emotion, etc..
He surrendered himself to a life of hardship.
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to give up, abandon, or relinquish (comfort, hope, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- renounce
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to yield or resign (an office, privilege, etc.) in favor of another.
verb (used without object)
-
surrenders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
surrendered,
past participle, past
-
surrendering
present participle
noun
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surrenders
plural
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the act or an instance of surrendering.
- Synonyms:
- relinquishment, capitulation
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Insurance. the voluntary abandonment of a life-insurance policy by the owner for any of its nonforfeiture values.
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the deed by which a legal surrendering is made.
verb
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(tr) to relinquish to the control or possession of another under duress or on demand
to surrender a city
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(tr) to relinquish or forego (an office, position, etc), esp as a voluntary concession to another
he surrendered his place to a lady
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to give (oneself) up physically, as or as if to an enemy
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to allow (oneself) to yield, as to a temptation, influence, etc
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(tr) to give up (hope, etc)
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(tr) law to give up or restore (an estate), esp to give up a lease before expiration of the term
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obsolete (tr) to return or render (thanks, etc)
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to present oneself at court at the appointed time after having been on bail
noun
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the act or instance of surrendering
-
insurance the voluntary discontinuation of a life policy by its holder in return for a consideration (the surrender value )
-
law
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the yielding up or restoring of an estate, esp the giving up of a lease before its term has expired
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the giving up to the appropriate authority of a fugitive from justice
-
the act of surrendering or being surrendered to bail
-
the deed by which a legal surrender is effected
-
Synonym Usage
See yield.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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nonsurrendernoun
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presurrendernoun
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surrenderernoun
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prosurrenderadjective
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unsurrenderedadjective
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unsurrenderingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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surrendersimple
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surrenderssimple
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have surrenderedperfect
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has surrenderedperfect
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am surrenderingprogressive
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are surrenderingprogressive
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is surrenderingprogressive
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have been surrenderingperfect progressive
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has been surrenderingperfect progressive
Past
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surrenderedsimple
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had surrenderedperfect
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was surrenderingprogressive
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were surrenderingprogressive
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had been surrenderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of surrender
First recorded in 1425–75; (for the verb) late Middle English surrendren, from Anglo-French surrender, Old French surrendre “to give up,” from sur- sur- 1 + rendre “to render” ( see render 1); (for the noun) from Anglo-French; Old French surrendre, noun use of the infinitive
Explanation
To surrender is to give up control of something to someone else. If you miss curfew, your parents might make you surrender the keys to the car. Okay, it's only a minivan, but it's still cooler than being on foot patrol. If you want someone to give up, you might order them to surrender. The witch in the Wizard of Oz wrote "Surrender Dorothy!" in the sky above the Emerald City. You can use the noun surrender when you give up on a task. For example, if you are cleaning the house, but every time you finish a room, the kids mess up another, you can throw your hands up and declare, "I surrender!"
Vocabulary lists containing surrender
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But we question why the parents must move to a high-cost area and surrender essentially all of their assets to finance a property that the older brother insists on owning and controlling.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Summoning the will to surrender that power he’d trained all his life to inherit, to the Guardians of the Universe ordering him to betray his friend, is a Herculean act.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
Pilots are trained to handle pressure, she said, but in an extreme situation people can freeze or surrender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
He had to surrender his passport as part of his bail conditions and is barred from speaking to the media about the case.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“You fill out a surrender form,” Claire says.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
District Judge Margaret Garnett released Van Dyke while he awaits trial, on conditions including that he surrenders his passport and any firearms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
Don’t miss: Tesla’s stock surrenders gains after earnings.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
The animals are also trained to come away when told and to leave anyone who surrenders.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025
Rather than transcending expectations, “Dangerous Animals” surrenders to them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2025
Poland surrenders, and trains filled with victorious German troops receive a jubilant homecoming.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Federal authorities say Diamantis fled to Florida, jumped on a boat to the Bahamas, and then flew via London to Athens—likely using a Greek passport he was supposed to have surrendered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Rooney and Myha'la surrendered theirs, but traitor Jama managed to hold on to hers.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Snell surrendered just one more hit, but when he issued his fifth walk with two outs in the fourth inning, his pitch count was up to 90.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
What diners surrendered wasn’t necessarily quality so much as a little hospitality, a little transparency and, increasingly, the expectation that a restaurant represented somebody’s particular idea of what a restaurant should be.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
Karl’s friend Rudi Wobbe was released from prison after Germany surrendered in 1945.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Detroit’s defense is a problem, especially the secondary, and the Lions are surrendering almost 32 points per game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
She can become a mother without surrendering her career.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
But to the NBA, the Clippers are surrendering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
They included General Dietrich von Choltitz, the last Nazi commander in Paris, who arrived in late August 1944 after defying Hitler and surrendering the city.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Adam waves his hand, surrendering to the nurse, to Kim.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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