as in to annihilate
to take control of and assert authority over
—usually used as (be) enslaved
Her ancestors were enslaved during the war.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 enslave
Black people, kidnapped and enslaved, had none, and as freedom was gained, new laws were written to hold them in place.
—
Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
Black people, kidnapped and enslaved, had none, and as freedom was gained, new laws were written to hold them in place.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to family lore, Henry had somehow circumvented the state’s strict law against educating the enslaved and become literate.
—Eugene Robinson, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
Black people, kidnapped and enslaved, had none, and as freedom was gained, new laws were written to hold them in place.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
According to family lore, Henry had somehow circumvented the state’s strict law against educating the enslaved and become literate.
—Eugene Robinson, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslave
Verb
-
Usually these particles almost immediately disappear again by annihilating each other—but not this time.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As the Universe expands and cools, the cross-section drops, and eventually, dark matter stops annihilating away or interacting with anything else in any appreciable way.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Both coffee and tea contain bioactive ingredients such as polyphenols and caffeine, which may reduce inflammation and cellular damage while defending against cognitive decline.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Snowmaking specialist TechnoAlpin, which is supplying this year’s Winter Olympics, said technology has advanced significantly over recent decades, reducing energy demand and water consumption.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tian Feng, former dean of SenseTime’s Intelligence Industry Research Institute, revealed that the free provision of T800 robots will help smaller companies overcome research and development barriers.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The first obstacle to overcome is to develop a computer chip that works in the extreme conditions of space, which includes exposure to much higher levels of radiation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In 2022, Horvath won her supervisorial seat, defeating former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, a political veteran.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Landsman, a Cincinnati Democrat, defeated Sonza 54% to 46% in 2024.—
Erin Glynn,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It’s subjugated to a larger sense of what’s called the universal destination of all goods.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There’s her creative director, Celeste (filmmaker/actress Hailey Benton Gates), Charli’s friend and the only one with a foot in reality, but with no other purpose in life but to subjugate herself to her employer.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
-
England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The cars, about 20 of them, had their windows smashed and looked as though they were made in the 1940s or 1950s.—
Kathleen Hill,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The bike then smashes into a metal barricade before coming to rest against a parked car.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The wind and waves whipped around us.—
Richard Greenberg,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
According to initial police reports, the man sitting in the driver’s seat was pistol whipped and robbed of his wallet that contained cash and other personal items.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslave. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
