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
-
Sue Glass Redondo Beach Hope everyone had a nice relaxing offseason.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Onboard/Offboard is a series that explores the can't-miss highlights of our favorite cruises—from the shore excursions to book to the spa treatments too relaxing to pass up.—
Madison Flager,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Parents are questioning whether four years and six figures are worth it, especially as campuses are increasingly overtaken by chaos, radical activism, and administrators more concerned with appeasing ideological mobs than educating students.—
Riley Gaines OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 Jan. 2026
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And yet, beneath the veil of politeness, there was rhetoric from the US president that suggests his default position in negotiations is still to pressure Kyiv, while appeasing Moscow.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
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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
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The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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These are the bad bathroom layouts keeping your space from feeling like a sanctuary, and designers are sharing how to switch things up for a much more soothing space.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
6 Jan. 2026
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Warm, soothing, and comforting – chicken soup is really good for the soul.—
Krissy Tiglias,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a more conciliatory tone, urging dialogue and promising economic reforms in bid to placate demonstrators demanding political change, action on corruption and relief from rising living costs.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
6 Jan. 2026
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Opponents found a conciliatory tone, mostly concerned with vague details Neighbors offered about security, screening and how residents will use the associated auto shop on site.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Coan isn’t surprised Colaizzi is conquering yet another obstacle in his way.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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That, plus some Sunday morning news interviews and a shot at conquering Cuba, and all for the bargain basement price of one soul.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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From there, lab directors select the wells with the highest concentrations of each virus, subjecting a reserved portion to further genetic analysis, which shows which subtype of each virus is present.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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She was bound and kidnapped as the trio drove her to Broward County, subjecting her to six to 10 hours of threatening to kill and rape her — at one point assaulting her.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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When winter settles in and the days grow shorter, there’s something especially comforting about slowing down and staying close to home.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
This is a comforting meal that is anything but bland.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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