List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 426

SYNONYMS: yield, relent, bow, defer, submit, capitulate.
These verbs all mean to give in to what one can no longer oppose or resist.

Yield has the widest application. It can refer to giving way for reasons ranging from recognition that one is overmatched to acknowledgement that an adversary's position is more the correct one.: yield to an enemy; wouldn't yield to reason; yielded to desire. The child soon yielded to the drowsiness.
Relent refers to moderating a stand one has taken with respect to another and thus showing him clemency. After hearing their side of the story we relented on the sentence of punishment.
Bow involves giving way either out of necessity or out of respect for or courtesy to another. We will bow to their leadership.
Defer can mean either giving way to authority or changing one's stand as an act of courtesy, respect, or recognition of another's superior knowledge, or the like. They deferred to the leader's corrections.
Submit implies giving way out of necessity after opposing unsuccessfully. We will submit to your authority.
Capitulate, in this sense, also implies surrender but not necessarily after active opposition. They capitulated to the superior forces.