Surrender
verb/nounBase surrender · Past surrendered · Past Participle surrendered · Present Participle surrendering · 3rd person surrenders
Definition
1. (verb/noun) To stop fighting and accept defeat — to give up resistance, especially in a war, conflict, or competition.
2. (verb) To hand over something — to give up control, possession, or a right, often unwillingly.
3. (verb) To allow yourself to be completely controlled by a feeling, experience, or desire — to stop resisting and let go.
2. (verb) To hand over something — to give up control, possession, or a right, often unwillingly.
3. (verb) To allow yourself to be completely controlled by a feeling, experience, or desire — to stop resisting and let go.
Context Alive
You've been arguing with your three-year-old for twenty minutes about putting on shoes. She's screamed, kicked them off twice, and is now lying face down on the floor refusing to move. You're already late for work. You look at the shoes, look at her, and finally pick her up — barefoot — and walk to the car. Your partner sees you and laughs. "You surrendered." You nod. "I surrendered. She wins. We'll deal with shoes later."
Meanings
3 meanings 1 To Stop Fighting and Accept Defeat (Verb/Noun) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about giving up the fight — accepting that you've lost and stopping resistance. Imagine an army that's been surrounded for weeks with no food, no ammunition, and no chance of rescue. Their general sends a white flag and surrenders to the enemy. This is describing the moment when someone or something stops fighting because continuing is pointless or impossible. You might hear "the army surrendered after a three-month siege" in a history lesson about a war, or someone could say "I'm not going to surrender — I'll keep fighting until the end" about refusing to give up in a difficult situation. Or think about a chess player who sees there's no way to win — they tip over their king and surrender. The word suggests the end of resistance and the acceptance of defeat.
✏️ A white flag is the universal symbol of surrender. In military contexts, surrender is formal and serious — armies surrender, cities surrender, soldiers surrender. But in everyday life, people use it casually too: "I surrender!" can simply mean "okay, you win, I give up" — often with humour. The noun form works the same way: "the surrender of the city" or "that was a complete surrender."
2 To Hand Over Something Unwillingly (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about giving up something you have — control, a possession, a document, or a right — often because you're forced to or because the situation requires it. Imagine arriving at a foreign border and the officer tells you to surrender your passport for inspection. You hand it over because you have no choice. This is describing the act of giving up something, usually with reluctance. You might hear "the suspect surrendered the weapon to police" about someone handing over a gun during an arrest, or someone could say "he refused to surrender control of the company" about a CEO who wouldn't give up power despite pressure from the board. Or think about a person who has to surrender their driving licence after being banned from driving. The word suggests giving something up that you'd rather keep.
✏️ "Surrender yourself" means to hand yourself in — to go to police voluntarily. "The suspect surrendered to authorities" is a very common news phrase. You also see surrender in legal and insurance contexts: "surrender a policy" means to cancel an insurance contract early, and "surrender a lease" means to give back a rental agreement before it ends.
3 To Let Go and Give In to a Feeling (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about stopping resistance and allowing yourself to be completely taken over by an emotion, experience, or desire. Imagine being on holiday, lying on a warm beach, hearing the waves, feeling the sun — and finally letting go of all the stress from work. You surrender to the moment and just exist. This is describing the act of releasing control and letting something wash over you. You might read "she surrendered to sleep" in a novel about someone who'd been fighting exhaustion and finally let it take over, or someone could say "he surrendered to his emotions" about a person who finally cried after holding it in for weeks. Or think about falling in love — at some point, you stop overthinking and just surrender to the feeling. The word suggests a beautiful kind of giving up — not defeat, but release.
✏️ This meaning is more poetic and emotional. "Surrender to" followed by a feeling or experience sounds literary and powerful: surrender to the music, surrender to the moment, surrender to love. It's popular in songs, novels, and self-help books. The idea is that sometimes letting go is stronger than holding on.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
surrender (to + person/force) → to stop fighting and accept defeat
The rebel forces surrendered to the government army after weeks of fighting.
surrender + noun (object/document) → to hand over something, often unwillingly
Passengers were asked to surrender any sharp objects before boarding.
surrender to + feeling/experience → to stop resisting and give in completely
After days without sleep, she finally surrendered to exhaustion.
Common Structures
never surrender → a declaration of refusal to give up — very common as a motto
The team's motto is simple: never surrender.
surrender yourself (to police/authorities) → to hand yourself in voluntarily
The suspect surrendered himself to police the following morning.
unconditional surrender → giving up completely with no demands or conditions
The war ended with the unconditional surrender of the defeated side.
Collocations
10 collocationssurrender to the enemy
to stop fighting and accept defeat in war
surrender a weapon
to hand over a gun or knife, often to police
surrender control
to give up power or authority over something
surrender to police
to hand yourself in to authorities voluntarily
unconditional surrender
total defeat with no terms or negotiations
never surrender
a refusal to give up — a common motto or war cry
surrender to temptation
to stop resisting and give in to something you want
surrender to sleep
to finally stop fighting tiredness and fall asleep
demand surrender
to insist that the other side gives up
full surrender
complete, total giving up — nothing held back
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
The soldiers surrendered after running out of ammunition and food.
The troops gave up once they had no bullets or food left.
2
She finally surrendered to sleep after being awake for 36 hours straight.
After staying awake for a day and a half, she finally let exhaustion take over.
3
The suspect surrendered to police early this morning without resistance.
The suspect handed himself in to the police this morning peacefully.
4
He refused to surrender control of the company, even when the board voted against him.
He wouldn't give up his power over the company, even after losing the board's support.
5
The war ended with Japan's unconditional surrender in August 1945.
The war concluded when Japan gave up completely without conditions in August 1945.
6
I tried to resist the chocolate cake but eventually surrendered to temptation.
I tried to say no to the cake but in the end I couldn't resist and ate a slice.
7
Never surrender — that's what my grandmother always told me when things got tough.
Don't ever give up — that's the advice my grandmother gave me during hard times.
8
Visitors must surrender their phones before entering the secure area.
Guests are required to hand over their mobile phones before going into the restricted zone.
9
On holiday, I surrendered completely to the rhythm of island life — no plans, no alarms.
On vacation, I let go of everything and just followed the slow pace of life on the island.
10
The city's surrender came after a brutal siege that lasted four months.
The city gave up after enduring a devastating blockade that went on for four months.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsgive up
the most common everyday equivalent — less formal and dramatic
yield
more formal — to give way or stop resisting, often under pressure
submit
to accept someone else's authority or control — slightly more passive
Antonymsresist
to fight against and refuse to give in — the direct opposite
persevere
to keep going despite difficulty — refusing to surrender
defy
to openly refuse to obey or accept — stronger than resist