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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gentled
Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Lisiecki gentled his way through a Brahms waltz for an encore.
—Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentled
Verb
-
Both agencies appeased a murderer.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
18 Mar. 2026
-
There also are a lot of people who need to be appeased to put the show together, so some habits are going to die harder than others.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Electric Bleu is French food caressed with California seasonality and the occasional pop of Aussie nostalgia.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
These were not tacos reverse-engineered for a white-tablecloth audience or softened for white palates.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
Officials softened the course so much for the final day that Tommy Fleetwood shot 63.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
These inventions transformed honey bees from a largely feral species into semi-domesticated livestock that could be managed year-round, expanded, and reproduced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Houston calmed himself all night by thinking of his expecting wife and the blessings of fatherhood.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
Agents and protesters stood face-to-face before the situation calmed down.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
After Munich this year, Shelton patted himself on the back.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
-
With the Mets taking a 2-1 lead, Rodón, clearly unhappy, appeared to curse at himself as Austin Wells patted him on the shoulder.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Schmidt likes Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Hair Oil and OUAI Wave Spray for shine, softness, hydration, and frizz control, while Hayasaka reaches for Brilliant Glossing Styling Cream paired with hair oil to tame flyaways and restore shine to dry-looking hair.—
Kate Donnelly,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
The petition delivery was a tamer affair than in Wichita, where police dispatched a bomb squad to examine the boxes of petitions after receiving a tip.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In your arms, your baby begins to cry and cry and will not be soothed.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
-
Hall remembers being at a homegoing service for a youth lost to gun violence – witnessing a room filled with hurt, chaos, young people all over the place, Spencer came in like Casper, the Friendly Ghost – soothed the family and changed the temperature in the room without grabbing the mic.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gentled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentled. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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