relented; relenting; relents
1
a
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict usually from reasons of humanity
b
: to cease resistance : give in
Synonyms
Examples of relent in a Sentence
Our application was initially refused, but the city relented in the end and the permit was issued.
They had refused to pay and relented only after being threatened with a lawsuit.
The winds would not relent.
Recent Examples on the Web
The snow had relented, and Boyko easily stalked the groups with the surveillance drone.
—
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Dallas never relented and clawed within two, but the Warriors nonetheless narrowly escaped.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
But in recent weeks, the M.T.A. slightly relented and said the race could use the upper level if the Road Runners preferred it to the lower level.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
After Kakao’s successful tender offer upped its stake to 35%, HYBE relented and sold 44% of its SM Entertainment shares to Kakao later that month.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024
And if Republicans relent and allow U.S. supplies to flow again, the Ukrainians still can turn the Avdiivka campaign from a likely retreat into a fighting retreat that continues to exact a terrible toll on the Russians.
—David Axe, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Simon’s concerto was especially vivid in Milan, its vaguely phonetic two-note salvo sounding an alarm that scarcely relented.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
China then threatened to withhold COVID-19 vaccines from the country, and Bolsonaro had to relent.
FRIEND WITH BENEFITS
Since 2014, Latin America has lost its economic luster.
—Shannon K. O’Neil, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Arriving in shorts and a T-shirt, Davis initially balked at sitting down without his suit on, but eventually relented.
—John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2024
Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
Dallas never relented and clawed within two, but the Warriors nonetheless narrowly escaped.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
But in recent weeks, the M.T.A. slightly relented and said the race could use the upper level if the Road Runners preferred it to the lower level.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
After Kakao’s successful tender offer upped its stake to 35%, HYBE relented and sold 44% of its SM Entertainment shares to Kakao later that month.
—Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024
And if Republicans relent and allow U.S. supplies to flow again, the Ukrainians still can turn the Avdiivka campaign from a likely retreat into a fighting retreat that continues to exact a terrible toll on the Russians.
—David Axe, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Simon’s concerto was especially vivid in Milan, its vaguely phonetic two-note salvo sounding an alarm that scarcely relented.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
China then threatened to withhold COVID-19 vaccines from the country, and Bolsonaro had to relent.
FRIEND WITH BENEFITS
Since 2014, Latin America has lost its economic luster.
—Shannon K. O’Neil, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Arriving in shorts and a T-shirt, Davis initially balked at sitting down without his suit on, but eventually relented.
—John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near relent
Cite this Entry
“Relent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relent. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
relent
verb
re·lent
ri-ˈlent 
1
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict
2
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