as in reducing
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 enslaving
Aisuru and Kimwolf work by first infecting vulnerable online devices, enslaving them into a network of hijacked computers.
—
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts describe Sutter, a Swiss immigrant and early California settler, as enslaving Indigenous people and forcing tribes to work in inhumane and sometimes deadly conditions.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
DaCosta likens the actions of Jimmy and his acolytes to those of Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his soldiers, who turned to enslaving and raping women in the wake of society's collapse in the first movie.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
The two-minute finale offered a riveting display in a nation that prides itself as being founded and enriched by immigrants, alongside an ugly history of enslaving millions of them and limiting who can come in.
—Laurie Kellman, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
In this era, several justifications were offered for enslaving Africans.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026
Historical accounts describe Sutter, a Swiss immigrant and early California settler, as enslaving Indigenous people and forcing tribes to work in inhumane and sometimes deadly conditions.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 1 Mar. 2026
DaCosta likens the actions of Jimmy and his acolytes to those of Major Henry West (Christopher Eccleston) and his soldiers, who turned to enslaving and raping women in the wake of society's collapse in the first movie.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
The two-minute finale offered a riveting display in a nation that prides itself as being founded and enriched by immigrants, alongside an ugly history of enslaving millions of them and limiting who can come in.
—Laurie Kellman, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025
In this era, several justifications were offered for enslaving Africans.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
In 1741, his forces overran Tabarka, enslaving many residents and sending shockwaves throughout the western Mediterranean.
—Miquel Ros, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslaving
Verb
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The station initially bridged the sudden budget gap last year by reaching out to donors directly and reducing costs to bring down overhead.—
Savannah Sicurella,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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The ship suffered substantial damage, and the Reagan administration retaliated by damaging or sinking three Iranian warships and three oil platforms, drastically reducing Tehran’s ability to engage in the gulf.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tage Thompson scored twice to reach 40 goals on the season, and the Buffalo Sabres clinched the Atlantic Division title by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Monday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Supporters of Hungary’s Tisza party and its lead candidate, Péter Magyar, celebrated in the streets of Budapest after soundly defeating Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party in a general election, removing the autocratic Orbán from office after 16 years.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That means eliminating Iran's Navy, which is now absolutely destroyed, hurting their Air Force and their missile program at levels never seen before, and annihilating their defense industrial base.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
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
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But at the end of the day, Pasricha said, normalizing people doing human things in our homes without judgment and overcoming this embarrassment are important.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2026
-
And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport's greatest teams itself.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 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
-
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
-
Looking for a response after a lopsided loss to the Edmonton Oilers the previous night, the Sharks instead allowed two goals in the opening seven minutes – and didn’t get a shot of their own on net in more than 13 minutes – in a crushing 6-1 loss to the Ducks at Honda Center.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
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To reject any anomaly, anything mysterious or unusual, Kawamura suggests, is to succumb to a soul-crushing, self-serving conformity—and to withhold possibilities of decency, discovery, and love that make any game worth playing, life very much included.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The famously-shy sophomore obliged, several of her teammates whipping out their phones to record the big moment.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Supergirl trailer shows him hootin' and hollerin' while doing donuts on his cycle and whipping his chain weapon around a horde of assailants.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Enslaving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslaving. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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