as in tamed
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1
as in appeased
to lessen the anger or agitation of
employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in caressed
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in softened
to lessen the shock of
adding a bit of sugar to the salsa will gentle the hot spiciness of the chili peppers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentled
Verb
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The district appeased the coaches enough to avoid a boycott — but a silent protest still took shape.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Dec. 2025 -
The lie, at last, appeased him.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
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In one photo, the couple posed on the beach while Wyatt caressed her growing baby bump.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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An Educational Tool As Wikipedia’s use grew, some educators softened their stance, encouraging its use to find leads to sources that students could dig into directly.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
15 Jan. 2026
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Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Bronx native’s worries were calmed by the fourth quarter when the Pats extended their lead to 13 points.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
12 Jan. 2026
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As both families left the hearing, a quick yelling dispute between them had to be calmed by a sheriff’s deputy in the hall.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Edwards went over to the center after the play, discussed the situation, patted Gobert and moved forward.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
-
While mingling with well-wishers, Charlotte, 10, gently patted her 12-year-old older brother’s back in a show of support and reassurance.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Some are aggressive in their approach, some more tame; some only occasionally post about social media overuse, and some, like Yokubonis, devote their accounts to it.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
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Think compression packing cubes that help tame chaos, comfy sneakers for full days of walking, a polished matching set that multitasks, and genius travel accessories that keep everything organized.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fan temperature Just because NASCAR has taken steps toward addressing some of the issues fans care about doesn’t mean the fan base will suddenly be soothed.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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After that, Riecken claimed that his faith had been restored; Martin, soothed, channelled a psychic message explaining how the flood had been averted.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Influenced by her Indian heritage, Japanese craft philosophy, and the traditions of Shetland knitting, her work is highly distinctive and also wholly wearable; David and I stroked scarves, asymmetric wraps, and sweaters with yearning.—
Sarah Moss,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s allies have always stroked his ego to get their way.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
11 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gentled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentled. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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