A surrender often signaled the end of hostilities in a military conflict. It might offer a final option when a defending force was completely surrounded, its industrial and production capabilities destroyed, and severely depleted manpower in which further fighting would only prolong the inevitable. It was also used for an individual who handed themselves over to authorities. A complete surrender of one party to another was called unconditional surrender. Use of a white flag was one way to signal a surrender. The term was used metaphorically to describe someone giving in. (ENT: "Twilight"; DS9: "Statistical Probabilities"; VOY: "The Q and the Grey")
According to Worf, it was Klingon custom to never surrender. (TNG: "The Emissary")
In 2285, Commander Uhura hailed the heavily damaged USS Reliant and under orders from Admiral James T. Kirk, told Khan Noonien Singh to surrender and prepare to be boarded. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
In 2287, Commander Pavel Chekov advised Sybok to surrender himself to USS Enterprise-A personnel on Nimbus III. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
In 2293, Captain James T. Kirk told Commander Uhura to signal a surrender to Kronos One from the Enterprise-A crew when Kronos One powered up their weapons to attack the Enterprise after the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
In 2364, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered Counselor Deanna Troi to surrender in all languages and frequencies to Q while on the battle bridge of the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
In 2365, Captain Jean-Luc Picard surrendered the Enterprise-D to William T. Riker when he was acting captain of the Klingon cruiser Pagh. (TNG: "A Matter Of Honor")
In 2366, while imprisoned by an unknown species with Jean-Luc Picard, Mitena Haro, and Kova Tholl, Esoqq told Tholl, a Mizarian, that all names of people of his species meant surrender, since their homeworld, Mizar II had been conquered six times as the Mizarians offered no resistance to the takeover of their world. (TNG: "Allegiance")
During their 2366 invasion of the Federation, the Borg demanded an unconditional surrender as it believed Starfleet was helpless against their cube. (TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II")
In 2367, Chief Miles O'Brien convinced his former commanding officer, Captain Benjamin Maxwell to drop the shields of his starship, the USS Phoenix and to surrender himself to the Enterprise-D. (TNG: "The Wounded")
In 2369, Commander Benjamin Sisko, while on board the USS Ganges, ordered Tahna Los to surrender himself and the runabout he commandeered, the USS Yangtzee Kiang, after he attempted to destroy the opening to the Bajoran wormhole with bilitrium explosives. (DS9: "Past Prologue")
In 2370, Odo told Kira Nerys that she was surrendering after she voluntarily gave up her position as liaison officer to Li Nalas at the request of the Bajoran Provisional Government. (DS9: "The Circle")
In an unknown future, Captain Beverly Picard asked Governor Worf to signal a surrender of the USS Pasteur to the Klingons. (TNG: "All Good Things...")
Later that year, Jake Sisko advised the replicant O'Brien to surrender himself to his father and Deep Space 9's security personnel after he tried to flee from them. (DS9: "Whispers")
Gul Evek ordered Chakotay and his Maquis cell on the raider Val Jean to cut their engines and surrender to him near the Badlands in 2371. (VOY: "Caretaker")
In 2372, after Kar tried to attack Chakotay with his hands tied up, Chakotay told him "I accept your surrender." (VOY: "Initiations")
In 2373, a member of the Q ordered Q to surrender during the Q Civil War. In response, Q fired a gun at them and said "I'll never surrender!" (VOY: "The Q and the Grey")
In 2374, a group of genetically-engineered Humans, Jack, Sarina Douglas, Lauren, and Patrick predicted that the United Federation of Planets would lose the Dominion War and the resulting causalities would be nine hundred billion lives. Julian Bashir, genetically engineered himself, recommended their suggestion to Benjamin Sisko that Starfleet surrender to the Dominion. Sisko angrily refused and told Bashir "Surrender is not an option!" (DS9: "Statistical Probabilities", "Inquisition")
According to Weyoun, throughout its ten-thousand-year history the Dominion had never surrendered in battle, much less lost a war. As the Dominion War dragged on, it slowly became the Dominion's remaining option. During the mid-to-late months of 2375, Starfleet, Klingon, and Romulan forces raided deep within Cardassian territory and destroyed Jem'Hadar breeding centers, shipyards, and manufacturing facilities, depriving it of front-line strength. Rather than capitulating, the Dominion leadership decided to make a final stand at Cardassia Prime. Fortunately, Odo was able to convince the Female Changeling to surrender, avoiding unnecessary losses. (DS9: "The Dogs of War", "What You Leave Behind")