How to Use abdicate in a Sentence

abdicate

verb
  • The last emperor to abdicate was Kokaku, who stepped down in 1817 to make way for his son.
    Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2019
  • The following year his uncle, the King of Greece, was forced to abdicate the throne.
    Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 9 Apr. 2021
  • She was later overthrown in a coup d'état and forced to abdicate.
    Emily Burack, Town & Country, 14 May 2022
  • Sheikh Hamad abdicated in 2013 in favour of his son, Tamim bin Hamad.
    The Economist, 21 June 2018
  • From time to time, the question arises whether the queen will ever abdicate.
    Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 21 Oct. 2020
  • Now that the Queen has decided to abdicate, people are even more drawn to it.
    Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 15 Jan. 2024
  • But when his brother David abdicated the throne, the new monarch must find his voice.
    Hannah Herrera Greenspan, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2019
  • The set was a gift from Simpson's husband, the Duke of Windsor, who abdicated as king.
    Isiah Magsino, Town & Country, 28 Apr. 2023
  • The Grand Duke abdicated in 2000 in favor of his son Henri.
    Erin Hill, PEOPLE.com, 6 Dec. 2019
  • But church leaders say this is not enough, and that the government is abdicating its duty to keep the peace.
    Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Apr. 2023
  • In the United States, a lot of women abdicate to their partners or their fathers.
    Anna Tutova, Fortune Crypto, 2 May 2023
  • Just months after Rasputin’s murder, Tsar Nicholas was forced to abdicate the throne.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 27 Oct. 2022
  • That same day, Paul Bulcke abdicated at Nestlé after eight-plus years on the throne.
    Beth Kowitt, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2017
  • The Dems who boycott are abdicating their oaths of office.
    Sabrina Eaton, cleveland.com, 29 Jan. 2018
  • Another line of thought Tuesday held that Kyrie showed up as part of an effort to persuade the King not to abdicate.
    Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 24 May 2023
  • If the United States abdicates its diplomatic role in the region, others will step in.
    Thomas Carothers, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2023
  • Napoleon had abdicated and was exiled to the island of Elba.
    National Geographic, 15 Aug. 2019
  • Expect the 81-year-old King Salman to abdicate in favor of his son in the next few months, allowing the father to smooth his son’s transition.
    Ian Bremmer, Time, 2 Aug. 2017
  • Owen is 80 now and remembers when royalty arrived at the Downs — the Duke of Windsor, the king who abdicated his throne.
    Kristina Goetz, The Courier-Journal, 30 Apr. 2020
  • Now, Akihito will be the first emperor in more than two centuries to abdicate the throne.
    Aria Bendix, The Atlantic, 2 June 2017
  • Francis is abdicating the mandate which Christ gave to Peter to confirm the brethren.
    Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, 26 Aug. 2018
  • In veiled language, the 83-year-old emperor expressed his wish to abdicate last August, citing his age and health.
    Michael Holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 June 2017
  • Politicians would abdicate their starring roles in the spotlight and become members of the supporting cast.
    Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 27 May 2020
  • King Salman is planning to abdicate in his son’s favor, according to people close to the royal court, but the timing is unclear.
    Gerard Baker, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2017
  • Social media were abuzz with rumours that King Salman, 81, was planning to abdicate.
    The Economist, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Jerry Jones isn’t willing to abdicate too many news cycles.
    David Moore, Dallas News, 20 July 2021
  • If the Justices abdicate on the race issue now, the virus of racial separatism will spread ever more deeply into American life.
    The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 May 2021
  • The Venetian Senate had no choice but to abdicate, thus ending 1,100 years of a calm and orderly republic.
    Kasia Dietz, Travel, 4 Jan. 2021
  • In 1975, Lao’s king was forced to abdicate, and a new Communist government installed.
    Hanya Yanagihara, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2018
  • One scenario is the ailing king decides to abdicate and tend to his health, immediately putting a spotlight on his eldest son and first in line to the throne, Prince William.
    USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abdicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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