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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacify
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who has billions of dollars worth of federal contracts, has steered his Washington Post to pacify Trump — including killing an endorsement of Harris.
—
Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Harold Ross, the magazine’s founder, dispatched the editor Katharine Angell to pacify her.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
But experience suggests the Europeans may be whistling in the wind, for all their efforts to flatter and pacify Trump.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Harold Ross, the magazine’s founder, dispatched the editor Katharine Angell to pacify her.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
But experience suggests the Europeans may be whistling in the wind, for all their efforts to flatter and pacify Trump.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pacify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacify
Verb
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Policies supposed to appease farmers destroyed their land and water.—
Nik Kowsar,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Some speculated that the move was actually to appease the FCC and ensure a smooth merger between Paramount, CBS’s parent company, and Skydance Media.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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A bit subdued and a bit of a passenger.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Another finding is that risk appetite is understandably subdued.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The same applies to coders and writers, who dominate AI adoption rates on platforms like Claude, the researchers found.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
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Phillipe Chow adds to downtown Nashville's fine-dining scene Its arrival underscores the transformation of a downtown dining scene once dominated by honky-tonks and quick bites.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Building on the site commenced in the 13th century under the instruction of Ibn al-Ahmar, the first member of the Nasrid family to be emir of Granada, and the sprawling compound was used by the emirs until Isabella and Ferdinand conquered the city in 1492.—
Fiona Mozley,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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Their methods—ruthless melodic math, brazenly artificial production, and an odd soft spot for reggae rhythms—helped define the world-conquering sound of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Orders in Memphis would subject troops to the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars them from engaging in law enforcement.—
Devon M. Sayers,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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Many employers already subject potential hires to elaborate interview and testing regimes, sometimes requiring them to perform tasks or problem-solve while recruiters watch.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacify. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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