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
The Underground Railroad was an organized network in the United States that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom through safe houses and secret routes with the help of abolitionists, dating back to the 1700s and through the Civil War.
—
Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts and later academic research describe him as enslaving hundreds of Native Americans, forcing Indigenous people to labor at the fort and punishing or pursuing those who attempted to flee.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
History restored in Philadelphia Several signs and displays honoring nine people who were enslaved by George Washington were put back in place on Thursday, after a federal judge in Philadelphia ordered the National Park Service and Department of Interior to replace them.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
When his wife was moved to Texas, the free Yates volunteered to become re-enslaved in order to join his family.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts and later academic research describe him as enslaving hundreds of Native Americans, forcing Indigenous people to labor at the fort and punishing or pursuing those who attempted to flee.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
History restored in Philadelphia Several signs and displays honoring nine people who were enslaved by George Washington were put back in place on Thursday, after a federal judge in Philadelphia ordered the National Park Service and Department of Interior to replace them.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
When his wife was moved to Texas, the free Yates volunteered to become re-enslaved in order to join his family.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enslave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslave
Verb
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The people on whom the planter depended to make his plantation run, Amador probably reasoned, were the same people who were best qualified and most motivated to annihilate it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Death Star, the Empire's planet-annihilating battlestation, has long been the Holy Grail of Lego Star Wars fans.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Gold has been one of the better-performing assets over the past year, and when markets get choppy, leveraged funds and institutional investors tend to reduce exposure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Hornets overcame foul trouble and a big free-throw discrepancy to win Tuesday.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Burleson defeated beat Fort Worth South Hills 5-0 on Thursday.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Four House members have lost primary bids for higher office, and another was defeated for renomination.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Putin began the year projecting confidence about his campaign to subjugate Ukraine, despite incremental progress on the battlefield.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, established a religious dictatorship that subjugates the Iranian people under sharia law, while zealously exporting its dogma by force.—
Elan Journo,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The dog ignored him, and licked the boy’s face.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Was Perugino, the master overtaken by his pupil, similarly tempted to smash something?—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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At the end of what's been one of the warmest winter weeks in recent memory across Southern California, Friday continued to smash daily and monthly heat records, according to the National Weather Service.—
Austin Turner,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And while public opinion was being whipped, a legal strategy kicked off behind the bench.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
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This means that your desire to whip things in shape at home or with a family member might be ill-timed.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslave. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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