1
as in to appease
to lessen the anger or agitation of
the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms
additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacify
With their help, Spain pacifies China, which becomes the jewel in the Spanish imperial crown and a strategic platform for further conquest.
—
Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
The Gators raced out to a 13-7 lead against the Bulldogs after two quarters, but fans were not pacified by the product on the field.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
To keep the Russian public pacified, the Kremlin ran its military campaign by recruiting volunteers, who were paid quite well, including criminals avoiding prison.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
That transformed the industry by giving it a clear American base — and by pacifying agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been, under Biden, openly hostile.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
The Gators raced out to a 13-7 lead against the Bulldogs after two quarters, but fans were not pacified by the product on the field.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025
To keep the Russian public pacified, the Kremlin ran its military campaign by recruiting volunteers, who were paid quite well, including criminals avoiding prison.
—Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
That transformed the industry by giving it a clear American base — and by pacifying agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been, under Biden, openly hostile.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacify
Verb
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Democrats are much more likely, at 78 percent, to believe the Supreme Court is trying to appease the president, though 34 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of independents said the same thing.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Legislature is eagerly pursuing the approval of bills (SB 706 and HB 919) to take away local governments’ ability to name their own airports to appease their Lord and Master.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The last Winter Olympics, held in Beijing during COVID, were subdued.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
6 Feb. 2026
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Fans in the arena have been fairly subdued, but an in-house DJ has made a steady stream of dance hits the day’s soundtrack.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The rival bids have drawn scrutiny from antitrust experts and lawmakers, who worry that either death could reduce competition in an entertainment industry already dominated by streaming giants.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Feb. 2026
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It’s speculated that a runaway greenhouse effect took place on Venus long ago, leading to its dense, thick, hot atmosphere, dominated by carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The last hurrah was a free agent spending spree designed to conquer the Dallas Cowboys that resulted in their last championship following the 1994 season, enabling Steve Young to escape the shadow of Joe Montana with a 49-26 win over the San Diego Chargers in Miami.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
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The Ovelyn partition divides but doesn’t necessarily conquer your design, thanks to its minimal and timeless silhouette.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Between 1995 and 2015, both publications—which have a combined circulation of some eighty thousand Canadian family doctors and pharmacists—regularly ran columns from the Motherisk team without subjecting them to peer review.—
Ben Taub,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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While the Jacksonian program helped produce a massive depression, the Jacksonians’ intention was to accelerate capitalism by democratizing it, not to tame it by subjecting it to government planning.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacify. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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