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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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
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Entering a bedroom that’s painted a light blue color feels soothing and relaxing; a bathroom that’s a soft shade of green is pleasant to bathe in.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Looking for a relaxing way to escape the winter blues?—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Then imagine a Congress seated in January 2027 with even more lawmakers guaranteed reelection and concerned mainly with appeasing their party’s activist base.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
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Nevertheless, Ed still idolized Augusta and would grow to become obsessed with appeasing her, according to Biography.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
-
For an accent, consider introducing a deep blue shade to provide a soothing contrast.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Nov. 2025
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The soothing, antioxidant-rich formula offers enough coverage that it can be used in lieu of a tinted moisturizer or lightweight foundation.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Turning to Hjulmand as his replacement seemed almost a conciliatory gesture.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Trump is famously mercurial, while Petro could become more conciliatory.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And when was conquering ever a good thing?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
These terrorists are going about on a jihad and conquering territories and renaming them accordingly.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This discovery cuts down on the need to retest, subjecting patients to more needle sticks.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
22 Oct. 2025
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Lucido's office said Martin also has a habitual offender, fourth-offense notice, subjecting him to life in prison if he is convicted of any of the primary felony charges, according to a release.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Whether for the potluck, the cookout, or a Wednesday night dinner with your family, these Southern side dishes are comforting, easy, and crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
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In those cases, soft lighting, quiet music, or a comforting scent can make the space feel safer.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
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