# surrender

/sɝˈɛndɝ/ (US) · /səɹˈɛndɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/surrender
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to stop fighting

verb · CEFR B2

to stop fighting or resisting because you know you cannot win.

For teachers: to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority. Often used intransitively in military contexts.

- The soldiers were forced to surrender after they ran out of food and ammunition.
- After weeks of heavy bombardment and dwindling supplies, the garrison was left with no choice but to surrender to the advancing forces.

### 2. to give up a right or object

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to give up something you own or a right you have, often because you are required to.

For teachers: to give up possession or control of something to another, especially under legal or official compulsion.

- You must surrender your passport to the authorities while the investigation continues.
- The defendant was ordered to surrender all travel documents to the court to ensure he would not flee the jurisdiction before the trial.

### 3. to give in to emotion

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to stop trying to control a strong feeling or influence.

For teachers: to abandon oneself to a particular influence, emotion, or impulse. Often used reflexively with 'to'.

- She decided to surrender to her grief and cried for hours.
- Exhausted by the long journey, he finally surrendered to sleep, oblivious to the storm raging outside the cabin.

### 4. the act of giving up

noun · CEFR B2

the act of admitting defeat or giving up control.

For teachers: the action of yielding one's person or giving up the possession of something especially into the power of another.

- The general signed the surrender in a small house near the battlefield.
- The sudden surrender of the rebel leaders brought an unexpected and welcome end to the decade-long civil war.

## Examples

- The general signed the surrender after the final battle.
- The treaty required the immediate surrender of all occupied territories and the release of political prisoners.
- Historians argue that the unconditional surrender of the garrison was inevitable once the primary supply lines were severed by the advancing naval blockade.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.