1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
a pacifying treat of milk and cookies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comforting
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 subduing
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 pacifying
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 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
Verb
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
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
Adjective
-
Incorporate rewards that motivate you, such as a relaxing bath, healthy snack, or movie night.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Sami, a city boy ashamed of his roots, arrives for a relaxing weekend on his family farm.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So far, efforts at appeasing the MAGA outrage machine have only backfired.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Trump took a step toward appeasing his critics in the Republican Party by urging European allies over the weekend to move first on Russia sanctions.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Giants won in all kinds of encouraging ways while subduing the wild-card-leading Cubs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
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The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
26 Sep. 2025
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Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This whole situation is not exactly being made better by vocal Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, who has not exactly gone down the conciliatory road, and has been arguing with fans about these problems or issuing statements that are let’s say, controversial and prone to be ratioed.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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This allegedly occurred because Alderon was anything but conciliatory.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Both were standouts from the 2018 House blue wave — moms with national security credentials, conquering old Republican suburbs.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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It's been part of an incredible run of comp wins for Pope over the last month that also includes five veto victories and conquering the White Locust competition.—
Christopher Kuhagen,
jsonline.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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By implementing rigorous controls and subjecting them to human scrutiny, companies can guide this powerful technology toward valuable outcomes while mitigating risk factors.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Trump has a difficult relationship with Zelensky, subjecting the Ukrainian leader to public and pointed criticism during his visit to the Oval Office in February.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The coveted lineup boasts warm wood pieces, modern designs, clean lines, and accessible price points that offer a calming, cohesive aesthetic.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The gentle sunrise alarm light is a calming wake-up rather than a loud and repetitive alarm clock.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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