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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 Despite the language barrier, Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections at Vuitton, said the jury was conquered by his presentation. Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025 Even after the company turned much of its attention towards other genres — conquering the planet with World of Warcraft — StarCraft 2 arrived in 2010 to critical and player acclaim. Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The film is based on the true story of Warren ‘Batso’ Harding and Dean Caldwell’s attempt to conquer ‘The Wall of Early Morning Light’. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025 Establishing a legend The pilots quickly conquered their steep learning curve. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conquer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conquer
Verb
  • The surge of consumer spending on pickleball and other sports in China comes as overall retail sales have been subdued since the pandemic.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2025
  • While sales of existing homes have ticked up recently, they are still subdued and prices are flat.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Outperforming some of them on the pitch is one thing, but Newcastle cannot yet overcome the off-field strength of the ‘Big Six’.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Part of the presentation focused on helping people overcome their fear of being ostracized for having plants seen as too wild.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Charlotte forced five Tar Heels three-and-outs, held them to 33% on third-down attempts, and won the time of possession battle.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Even there, though, Green Bay’s 11-game winning streak against the Bears came to an end in Week 18 last season.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The division’s ‘Big Six’ dominated spending again, though that was hardly new.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • In the Chinese foldable phone category, Huawei dominates with a 75% share of the market, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).
    Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Colleyville Heritage defeated Richland 30-21 in a game halted early in the third quarter after a second lightning delay Friday at Mustang-Panther Stadium.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Dryden also represented his country several times, most notably helping Team Canada defeat the Soviet Union in the 1972 Summit Series.
    Jesse Granger, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kemp put seeds in the front yard to see whether grass or natives would prevail during last year's drought.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
  • If Upside Foods prevails in court, legal experts suggest the precedent could apply directly to Texas and other states.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat from Chicago’s 15th Ward, wants Trump to send the National Guard to his city because of the violent crime to which people in his city are subjected.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • If an investor who has not sold the IP expatriates for example, valuation of the interest will be included in determining the investor’s net worth and may subject the investor to unexpected taxes as a covered expatriate, for both income and estate tax purposes.
    Priya Prakash Royal Esq. LL.M. MBA AEP TEP, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Chelsea have mastered the art of the consistent grind.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But to unlock it, individuals must first master themselves.
    Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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