1
as in appeasing
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in caressing
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 softening
to lessen the shock of
adding a bit of sugar to the salsa will gentle the hot spiciness of the chili peppers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentling
Verb
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And many brands and stores are appeasing consumer preference for cotton products to carry them through the fall and winter months.—
Catherine Salfino,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Sep. 2025 -
Rivals and analysts suggest that Ellison has improved at managing profit and loss and appeasing superstar creative talent like Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron (arguably the two most important tasks in running a studio).—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The singer was spotted in pictures shared to social media, gently caressing the baby bump of his romantic partner.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
3 Sep. 2019
Verb
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Serving as a throughline for this 40mm model’s development are Genta’s signature, which led to the idea of his signature octagonal shape softening into the sensual curves of a cushion, leaving the ambiguity of a shape that appears round at first glance.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
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On one hand, the job market is softening, and there’s political pressure from the president to slash rates aggressively to 1%.—
Frank Holmes,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since then, their roadside stand has evolved into a destination with produce from local growers and a menu of comforting baked goods, lunches, and take-home meals.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
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An image shows the poster comforting her golden retriever who is feeling sad after grandma left.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to the pages labeled as court exhibits, Priscilla rushed to her daughter’s bedside and was holding her hand, stroking her face, and telling her she was loved as family members gathered.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
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No one wants to follow an ego-stroking social media account with zero content value.—
Peter Boyd,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Essentially, soft and joyful music may reduce this effect by easing emotional tension, redirecting attention and calming physiological responses triggered by motion sickness.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Sep. 2025
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The child was crying and 23-year-old Alvina Omisiri Agba, fron Luton, England, offered to take the child to try calming him or her down.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keep your greens crisp by draining, rinsing, and patting them dry before using.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
2 Sep. 2025
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At times, its puzzle-solving and chaotic arcade shooting felt like patting your head while rubbing your stomach.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Markopoulos might include a warm bath or shower, reading a physical book, listening to soothing music, or drinking a caffeine free herbal tea.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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The beef is tender, and the broth has that nice aromatic spice that is immediately soothing and associated with a classic beef noodle soup.—
Shindy Chen,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Gentling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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