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
-
This property in Madrid feels especially homey and relaxing, with its garden, tearoom, and period furniture.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Boasting panoramic views of the water, beachfront dining, and a spa so relaxing as to be borderline lobotomizing, the hotel offers a stock photo of a vacation.—
Mattie Kahn,
Vogue,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
But, arguably, many of them have been accomplished by appeasing the concerns of the massive and powerful voting bloc of homeowners.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
-
As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Rooms Stepping into a room at The Berkeley feels like the first sip of its famed afternoon tea—calming, refreshing, and instantly soothing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The formula pairs propolis—known for its soothing, glow-boosting properties—with niacinamide, which helps support the skin barrier, calm visible redness, and bring out that soft, lit-from-within radiance.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Chait adopted a conciliatory tone, addressing union leaders — who were not present.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Anthropic appears to be trying to cool the tensions with the Pentagon, with Amodei striking a more conciliatory note in the most recent statement.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Vin Baker did not want to return a conquering University of Hartford hero just yet.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Best of luck conquering the world today and, of course, do keep in touch.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cawood introduced Gavitt — a snippet of Cawood’s remarks were carried on the telecast, subjecting him to considerable teasing — who spoke live on national television at the front of a Hyatt ballroom full of people.—
Bill Hancock,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
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Researchers at the institution spent two years investigating the canvas, matching the signature and the pigments on the canvas to those of other works by Rembrandt, and subjecting the work to macro-XRF scans revealing compositional changes.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If All Creatures Great and Small is our cozy and comforting show in this unending hellscape, The Forsytes can be our escapist junk food.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Of course, formulaic crime dramas can be comforting.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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