dominating 1 of 3

noun

as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control the gradual dominating of Europe by a few ruling families

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dominating

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in dominant

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2
as in domineering

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Dissimilar Words

dominating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of dominate
1
as in conquering
to bring under one's control by force of arms by 1941 Hitler had dominated much of Europe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overlooking
to look down on the ruined fortress dominates the town

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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 dominating
Noun
The mood at practice Monday morning was upbeat after such a dominating performance versus Middle Tennessee. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026 Florida is one of the best teams in the country and is coming off an absolutely dominating performance against a fellow top-10 team. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 North Dakota State went 9-5 against FBS teams during its dominating FCS run and went 198-22 overall from 2011 through 2025. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Though Emmanwori’s absence was still felt on Wednesday, the rest of Seattle’s secondary — familiar and unfamiliar names alike — delivered in a dominating way. — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Seminole is 3-0 with its defense dominating every game to date. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026 Within that menu, there are three benchmarks — the 10-year, 30-year, and 2-year, in order of importance — that wind up dominating headlines. — Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 According to celebrity hair artist Cody Renegar, the dominating hues are also warm. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026 If his dominating ability remains intact, opposing offenses will be losing sleep trying to game plan for the duo. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2026
Adjective
You’re supposed to win when that happens … except that the two Dodgers starters, Shohei Ohtani and Blake Snell, were equally dominating. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
The issues dominating college sports back in 2001 seem almost quaint by today’s standards. — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026 High-stakes conflicts over artificial intelligence, data privacy, workplace culture, antitrust laws and other issues are dominating the news and defining our modern era. — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The Covid-19 pandemic was dominating the headlines and creating massive headaches for our operations. — Tom Ulbrich, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Some investors are already treating Apple as a hedge against the other AI companies dominating the Nasdaq; if those companies wobble, Apple could be the big stock-market winner. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Firms spend heavily on developing a new technology in the hope of dominating a burgeoning industry. — Ruchir Sharma, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 Chinese car brands are dominating the global market, with their global auto-sales share jumping by nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025, according to market research and consulting firm GlobalData. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert failed to pick up a first down on a crucial fourth-and-1 try early in the fourth, and the Broncos capitalized by tying the score at 17-all and dominating the rest of the way. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 White wine brightens without dominating the flavors, whole milk adds richness while helping tenderize the beef, and a pinch of nutmeg adds subtle warmth. — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dominating
  1. conquest
  2. dominant
  3. domineering
  4. conquering
  5. overlooking
  6. domination
  7. prominent
  8. overbearing
Noun
  • Napoleon Bonaparte, having already lost half a million soldiers in Russia, was still an emperor dreaming of new conquests.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Columbus, for all his accomplishments in exploration, also had a brutal history of killing, raping, and enslaving natives, and forcing cultural assimilation and Christianity during his conquest of the Americas.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of conquest
Adjective
  • Replicants are also looking for their identity as the dominant species, and if God made humans in his image as humans did for Replicants — well, some Replicants might want to find out how to become gods.
    — Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Then Oklahoma State finished their upset bid in week two behind a dominant offensive performance.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominant
Adjective
  • Sources said Gunning plays Annie, a quietly dutiful wife who has sacrificed her ambitions to raise four sons under her domineering husband, Duncan.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fern proves himself as a true actor’s director, offering plum roles to Paulson, Watts and two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest as their chaotic and domineering mother.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of domineering
Verb
  • Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • During the talk, Bardem reflected on a glittering career, from his early life growing up in one of Spain’s most prestigious acting families to winning an Oscar and, this year, finally conquering his fear of the stage.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of conquering
Verb
  • Around 40% of the building will be accessible without a ticket, with an amphitheater-like atrium designed for talks and performances, a bookshop, a children's art space, and Extra Large, a café with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Seine.
    — Alessia Armenise, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Locals on social media and at the press conference also criticized the governor for overlooking the damage in Milton, which has a population of fewer than 12,000 people.
    — CBS Miami Team, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of overlooking
Noun
  • Brooke Reese, the host of Apple Music’s Global Chart Show, says that beyond radio play and chart domination, audiences appreciate an evocative and vulnerable performance, which doesn’t always require jaw-dropping vocals.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Water polo This was supposed to be the year another team in boys water polo was supposed to rise up and end Newport Harbor’s domination.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of domination
Adjective
  • Perhaps the only prominent Ukrainian who has demanded a wartime election is Fedorov, the former defense minister who elicited the comment about Starshield from Musk.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Mandell’s wife, Elizabeth Heller Mandell, a gallery owner, nonprofit consultant and arts patron from a prominent California family, predeceased him, leaving him in a position to extend her philanthropic work.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prominent
Adjective
  • During games, the elder Robinson stays away from the action, taking pictures of the Falcons and trying not to be overbearing.
    — McClain Baxley for the AJC, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • At worst, a lack of vision on behalf of the creative director or an overbearing executive team.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of overbearing

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Cite this Entry

“Dominating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dominating. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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