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
National Park Service employees worked with care on the exhibits, including those on the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital.
—
Tassanee Vejpongsa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
From its earliest days, this church served as a pillar of survival for the formerly enslaved.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Rather than making a dispassionate case against the idea that the country was founded to enslave Africans, MAGA is taking down plaques commemorating basic facts, such as Washington’s slaveholding.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
There’s a place called Hatches Creek, north of Alice Springs, where they were all enslaved.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Tassanee Vejpongsa, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
From its earliest days, this church served as a pillar of survival for the formerly enslaved.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Rather than making a dispassionate case against the idea that the country was founded to enslave Africans, MAGA is taking down plaques commemorating basic facts, such as Washington’s slaveholding.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
There’s a place called Hatches Creek, north of Alice Springs, where they were all enslaved.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslave
Verb
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Three of those nine losses have been by single digits, but Chicago is getting annihilated most nights.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
You were supposed to be annihilated.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its hypergolic propellant allows the missile to remain fueled for extended periods, reducing launch prep to minutes.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 2026
-
For inmates already on a hormone-replacement regimen, BOP will consider placing them on a taper plan that gradually reduces their dosage at a safe withdrawal pace.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In their recusal motion aimed at the prosecutor, the defense lawyers had to overcome a high bar to prevail.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
24 Feb. 2026
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To reach the state meet, Riley Kongkaeow has had to overcome an injury that limited her to 22 matches.—
Bobby Narang,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Newsom successfully defeated the most recent recall attempt in 2021.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
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In a September 1, 1939, article, the Bombers claimed their second consecutive state championship on August 27, 1939, behind the pitching of Lillian Brown, who defeated the Manette girls’ team 11-3.—
Sarah Dewberry,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Likewise, meekness once meant not becoming weak, but subjugating power to reason – not letting anger take control.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
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However, once Hernán Cortés triumphed, the conquistadors went from waging war — vanquishing the Aztecs — to the project of subjugating Indigenous holdouts and building a self-sustaining territory loyal to the crown.—
Foreign Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Legend has it that when Buddha was painting the sky, blue pigment dripped onto the floor and his inquisitive chow chow licked the puddle, coloring the dog’s tongue permanently.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
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Son disappeared from public view, licking his wounds while also plotting his comeback.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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According to Curtis, the changes come after years of complaints about burgers being smashed and falling apart.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
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Inside the pile of rocks at Delray Beach’s Anchor Park, there are hundreds of seashells, but most are broken, cracked, smashed or otherwise beaten up.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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To prove how great his feet are, Blanco then whipped off his shoes and insisted the camera zoom in on his foot.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
27 Feb. 2026
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Though both storms are similar — with a major storm system lingering over the region for over a day and whipping the region with merciless hurricane-level winds, driving inch after inch of wet snow — what made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its arrival.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslave. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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