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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 The pigment was later used by the Romans, who conquered ancient Egypt in the first century B.C.E., and then by Renaissance artists. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 June 2025 Most people conquer the trek in four to five days; overachievers tack on another two days and trek over the next pass to Skógar to see the nearly 200-foot Skógafoss waterfall. Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 12 June 2025 Israel, which disputes that stance, conquered the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War; the first settlements were established there shortly afterward. Ben Sales, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025 Ephesus is primarily known as a Ionian Greek city, but it was later conquered and rebuilt by the Romans. Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conquer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conquer
Verb
  • The day’s news was dominated by the Federal Reserve.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • America’s nicotine vape market is dominated by products smuggled in violation of federal rules — more than 90% of Chinese vape products enter the country skirting import rules.
    Edgar Domenech, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • But your brain might still seek patterns to overcome.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Yet soon one is overcome by Charles Laughton’s creepy, convincing portrayal of Captain Bligh’s sadomasochism: most of the first fifteen minutes is taken up with floggings and other shipboard disciplining of half-naked men, shown in detail while Laughton looks on with long-lipped lasciviousness.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • The Mercury managed to hold off Breanna Stewart’s 35-point performance by winning the fourth quarter, 25-16, and eventually win the game 89-81 at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 20 June 2025
  • The duo wound up the year 8-1, winning the district championship; an injury prevented the pair from competing at state.
    Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Yet, as trade tensions subdued, the stock rebounded 30% from its lowest point.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
  • The reaction from the Yankee Stadium crowd was largely subdued during Dobbins’ pregame introduction.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • That’s supposed to keep immigrant families safe and defeat Trump?
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
  • His reign ended as another American emerged, Francis Ouimet, a mild-mannered amateur who defeated Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Set boundaries that range from strict legal compliance that can’t be ignored or changed to issues where common sense prevails.
    Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Cooler heads prevailed on Friday, with Musk and Trump refraining from slinging direct insults at each other.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Social Security’s chief actuary calculated, based on the assumptions of the 2024 Trustees Report, the impact of eliminating the earnings limit and subjecting all earnings to the 12.4% payroll tax without offsetting benefit increases for very high income earners.
    Christian Weller, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • Diabolical medical experiments were carried out without anesthesia, deliberately infecting victims with diseases, subjecting them to freezing temperatures, disfiguring operations and worse.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • The tournament is serving as a trial run for FIFA to master the quality of its playing surfaces ahead of the men’s World Cup next year.
    Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 14 June 2025
  • Since making his season debut, Betts has been working to master the shortstop position and suffered a fractured toe.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conquer. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.

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