as in to annihilate
to take control of and assert authority over
—usually used as (be) enslaved
Her ancestors were enslaved during the war.
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Recent Examples of enslave
By drafting James as a man born enslaved who rose to this level of cultural sophistication by reading books in the library of his owner, Everett has situated James’s backstory among an infinitesimally tiny group of historical destinies.
—
John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
More: Millions of Native people were enslaved in the Americas.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
This otherworldly intelligence could enslave humanity.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
In Texas, slavery didn’t end until June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order No. 3, informing the people of Texas that all who’d been enslaved were free—the event commemorated as Juneteenth.
—Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
John Jeremiah Sullivan, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
More: Millions of Native people were enslaved in the Americas.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
This otherworldly intelligence could enslave humanity.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
In Texas, slavery didn’t end until June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order No. 3, informing the people of Texas that all who’d been enslaved were free—the event commemorated as Juneteenth.
—Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslave
Verb
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Once again, the film is about the anguish of losing a loved one and the the desire to connect with the dead one more time, the annihilating madness of grief driving a person to unspeakable ends.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2025
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Apparently the Entity, aided once again by its human helpmate Gabriel (Esai Morales), is set to annihilate humankind in four days unless Ethan and Ethan alone can disable it.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Here are recommendations for maintaining safety during a thunderstorm: To reduce the chance of being struck by lightning, when venturing outside, have a plan to get to a safer area.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
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The website also says the industry has worked to reduce the use antimicrobials.—
John Bartlett,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Verb
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But your brain might still seek patterns to overcome.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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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
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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
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That’s supposed to keep immigrant families safe and defeat Trump?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Verb
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And dominant players, such as Google, have also walked away from those pledges or subjugated them to a winner-take-all race to dominate the AI industry.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Donald Rumsfeld was particularly determined to subjugate bureaucracy.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The flames that licked through the football fields and tennis courts at Pali High devoured touchstones of an iconic campus—featured in films like Carrie and Freaky Friday.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
5 June 2025
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Besides, Angela already got her lick back from Porsha’s comments about Charles by instigating the already precarious relationship between Porsha and her bestie and bringing Drew the news that Porsha filmed with Dennis.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Verb
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That served as a prelude to Tim Anderson smashing his own two-run shot off Zack Britton in the bottom of the inning to send the White Sox home winners.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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He’s often found smashing things in the name of justice but can still be angered easily if things don’t go his way.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The suspect, who sported pink hair and several face piercings, got into the 68-year-old victim’s cab around 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, pretending to be a customer, but instead whipped out a knife and demanded the victim’s property, according to cops.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
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For example, defendants in this state are allowed to hire experts to lie and the defense can then whip the public into a frenzy by promoting the lies.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslave. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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