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as in to win
to achieve victory (as in a contest) a coach who demands that his team conquer, whatever the cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conquer differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of conquer are defeat, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

How do defeat and vanquish relate to one another, in the sense of conquer?

Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When would overcome be a good substitute for conquer?

The words overcome and conquer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When can overthrow be used instead of conquer?

The meanings of overthrow and conquer largely overlap; however, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When is reduce a more appropriate choice than conquer?

Although the words reduce and conquer have much in common, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to conquer?

While the synonyms subdue and conquer are close in meaning, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When is it sensible to use vanquish instead of conquer?

The synonyms vanquish and conquer are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

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 conquer Only one contestant will conquer all their fears and walk away with the massive grand prize! Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 23 June 2025 This week, Alphonse reviews the directorial debut from Logic, the rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, author, and occasional Rick & Morty voice actor, who now looks to conquer the world of cinema. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 20 June 2025 For the author, what may sound at first blush like a macho story of man conquering nature is not so much about a feat of endurance, but rather about community. Taylor Haney, NPR, 18 June 2025 In an improbable turn of events on the back nine on Sunday, JJ Spaun conquered Oakmont to win the U.S. Open by two shots over Robert MacIntyre. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conquer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conquer
Verb
  • Many of these women, though seemingly silent or subdued, speak volumes through their emotions and inner turmoil.
    Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2025
  • The overall market reaction to the attacks between the longtime regional foes has, admittedly, been fairly subdued since the strikes began late Thursday local time in New York.
    Paulina Likos, CNBC, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • There can be ways to overcome the objections of the people who are concerned that new technology will make their jobs obsolete.
    Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, a college in the U.K. has now stepped up and started offering classes on making and taking phone calls to help Gen Z overcome this fear.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • But Penn State, which licenses intellectual property to create vintage and throwback apparel, won.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
  • What’s better than buying winning lottery jackpot tickets?
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Thong style sandals prevailed as footwear on the looks, and large oversized bags dominated the man bags.
    Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • The early adopter was Montgomery Ward, but Sears and Roebuck—the Amazon and Walmart of their day—would soon dominate the business.
    Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • The Italian became the first man or woman from her country to defeat a top-3 seed at Wimbledon since the Open Era began in 1968.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Had Vintage Brand defeated Penn State in the trial, schools and teams may have encountered more difficulty in using trademark law to protect their logos and other marks.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • The prevailing viewpoint is that once intelligence begins feeding off other intelligence, a rapid chain reaction will arise.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Much of the premature optimism about a settlement earlier this year sprang from the prevailing belief that Ukraine was losing and would soon be forced to negotiate out of desperation.
    Michael Carpenter, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Hwang loudly calls out the flaw of democracy that allows the barest of majorities to subject all to nightmarish policies — even more nightmarish for those who voted against them.
    Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
  • Congress passed the law that led to its creation based on its power under the Constitution’s spending clause, which allows Congress to subject federal funds to certain requirements.
    Naomi Cahn, The Conversation, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, niche and local players who master efficiency and identity—like Dragonfly and Goodlyfe—can still carve out major wins.
    Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Stylish outfit equations have never been easier to master.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conquer. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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