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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacify
Not every unhappy person can be completely pacified, but reaching out to offer to listen can certainly be a valuable step in reducing negative noise.
—
Dee Blohm, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
It was deployed to pacify the stronghold of the Zetas cartel, but operated indiscriminately and with impunity.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
On this subject, your husband is more interested in pacifying his buddy than what your feelings about it may be.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
The Globetrotters paid me some extra money to keep him pacified with his singing.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Dee Blohm, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
It was deployed to pacify the stronghold of the Zetas cartel, but operated indiscriminately and with impunity.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
On this subject, your husband is more interested in pacifying his buddy than what your feelings about it may be.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
The Globetrotters paid me some extra money to keep him pacified with his singing.
—David Aldridge, The Athletic, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacify
Verb
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That probably means someone who can appease enough of the traditionalists, enough of the progressives, and a solid majority of the moderates.—
Joel Thayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
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Google has previously explored selling its ad exchange to appease European antitrust regulators, Reuters reported in September.—
David Shepardson and Jody Godoy,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Verb
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Officers used a taser on the man to try to subdue him, according to Cleverdon.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
19 May 2025
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The most subdued of those was one of the most tempting: Hotel Wren in Twentynine Palms, which only opened in March, a 12-room, high-end retreat with muted colors, enormous rooms, custom furniture and poolside mountain views.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
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For McIlroy — who relied on the services of a sports psychologist to conquer the mountain of winning golf’s Grand Slam — the moment of victory was a long time coming, and an emotional one.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
15 May 2025
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Tiger Woods ruled the PGA Championship again Having already conquered the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and The Open Championship at St. Andrews earlier that year, Tiger Woods arrived at Valhalla Golf Club in 2000, chasing yet another milestone.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Bird flu remains a major threat that will strike again—as long as factory farms continue to dominate our poultry market.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
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The other German parties delayed their reckoning with popular discontent over immigration, and instead let the AfD dominate that issue, which heated up politically until it could not be ignored.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Verb
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Singer, in particular, subjected new cast member Eboni K. Williams — the show’s first Black full-time cast member — to a hailstorm of microaggressions and was the subject of several official complaints.—
Louis Staples,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2025
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Just one week after subjecting us to Bobby’s funeral, Thursday’s episode of 9-1-1 wastes no time punching us in the gut once more, this time with a look back at the 118 in happier times.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Yet amid the devastation, a few glimmers of hope remain—Palestine’s U-20 national women’s team recently won the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship, overcoming Jordan 4-2 in a penalty shootout in the final following a 1-1 draw.—
Samindra Kunti,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
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During a stretch in which the Twins are outscoring opponents 68-29, the team is receiving contributions from just about everyone on the roster while concurrently overcoming the mounting injuries.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Verb
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The moment transpired seven months after the Liberty defeated the Minessota Lynx in a riveting five-game WNBA Finals.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
18 May 2025
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But 19 months after the war in Gaza began, Israel has failed to either defeat Hamas or free all of the captives.—
Aaron Boxerman,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacify. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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