waive

verb

Definition of waivenext
as in to deny
to officially say that you will not use or require something that you are allowed to have or that is usually required She waived her right to a lawyer. The university waives the application fee for low-income students.

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word waive different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of waive are abandon, relinquish, resign, surrender, and yield. While all these words mean "to give up completely," waive implies conceding or forgoing with little or no compulsion.

waived the right to a trial by jury

When is it sensible to use abandon instead of waive?

The synonyms abandon and waive are sometimes interchangeable, but abandon stresses finality and completeness in giving up.

abandoned all hope

When is relinquish a more appropriate choice than waive?

The words relinquish and waive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, relinquish usually does not imply strong feeling but may suggest some regret, reluctance, or weakness.

relinquished her crown

When might resign be a better fit than waive?

In some situations, the words resign and waive are roughly equivalent. However, resign emphasizes voluntary relinquishment or sacrifice without struggle.

resigned her position

When could surrender be used to replace waive?

While the synonyms surrender and waive are close in meaning, surrender implies a giving up after a struggle to retain or resist.

surrendered their claims

Where would yield be a reasonable alternative to waive?

The words yield and waive can be used in similar contexts, but yield implies concession or compliance or submission to force.

the troops yielded ground grudgingly

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of waive Grupe re-signed with them during the offseason before waiving him on Sunday. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, Ahmed has waived his right to a detention hearing and will remain in custody. — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 Marshall, the Panthers’ second-round pick in 2021 out of LSU, was waived by the Miami Dolphins on Sunday morning, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Aug. 2026 The Cowboys have informed 2025 seventh-round pick Jay Toia that he is being waived, according to Tom Pelissero of Netflix Sports. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for waive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waive
  1. deny
  2. relinquish
Verb
  • Anderson, who long had been considered a suspect in Shakur’s killing, denied involvement before his death in an unrelated Compton shooting in 1998 at age 23.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Edwards has denied the allegations, but ended his reelection bid after the House Ethics Committee posted their investigative findings last month.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of deny
Verb
  • Venus Venus will soon be relinquishing its dominance of the early evening sky.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • While Velocity Arts is within the city’s service area, the Utilities Department may relinquish this area to Evergy or another third party provider to serve the project, according to city documents.
    — Taylor O'Connor August 28, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of relinquish

Browse Nearby Words

waits on
waive
waived
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waive. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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