Meaning & use
yield to
Last updated
Meanings
phraseintransitiveformal
To stop resisting something and accept it or allow it to happen.
Grammar: Used with 'to' followed by a noun or -ing form: 'yield to pressure', 'yield to temptation'.
Patterns
- yield to pressure
- yield to temptation
- yield to demands
- yield to something
The government finally yielded to public pressure and changed the law.
She refused to yield to temptation and stayed on her diet.
He yielded to their demands after a long negotiation.
phraseintransitiveformal
To allow another vehicle or person to go before you.
Grammar: Used especially in driving: 'yield to traffic'.
Patterns
- yield to traffic
- yield to oncoming vehicles
- yield to pedestrians
Drivers must yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.
At the intersection, you should yield to cars coming from the right.
The sign tells you to yield to oncoming traffic.
phraseintransitiveformal
To be replaced by something else, especially something better or more important.
Grammar: Often used in the phrase 'yield to something' meaning 'give way to'.
Patterns
- yield to something
- yield to a new approach
Old customs eventually yielded to modern ways of living.
The traditional method yielded to a more efficient technology.
Her initial anger yielded to a feeling of sadness.
Common combinations
- yield to pressure
- The manager yielded to pressure from the staff and changed the schedule.
- yield to temptation
- He yielded to temptation and ate the whole cake.
- yield to demands
- The company refused to yield to the union's demands.
- yield to traffic
- You must yield to traffic when entering the highway.
- yield to something
- The old bridge finally yielded to the force of the flood.
Synonyms and how they differ
- give in to
- More informal and common in speech; 'yield to' is more formal.
- surrender to
- Stronger and often suggests complete defeat; 'yield to' can be partial or temporary.
- submit to
- Suggests accepting authority; 'yield to' is broader and can be about pressure or temptation.
- give way to
- Similar, especially for traffic or being replaced; 'yield to' is more common in American English.
Opposites
Commonly confused: yield to or yield?
yield to vs yield
'Yield' alone can mean 'produce' (e.g., 'The farm yields corn'), but 'yield to' means 'give in to'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence with 'yield to'.
Choose one answer.
'Yield to' is always followed by 'to' + noun. 'Yielded to the temptation' is correct. The other prepositions do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “yield to”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.