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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
The researchers hypothesized that soft music has a relaxing effect, relieving the tension that makes carsickness worse, and joyful music might serve as distraction, activating the brain's reward systems.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Sep. 2025
-
The ground-floor Felice al Gabrielli Restaurant, K Lounge Bar, and 6,458-square-foot garden flow together to form ample space for dining and relaxing.—
Elizabeth Heath,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And many brands and stores are appeasing consumer preference for cotton products to carry them through the fall and winter months.—
Catherine Salfino,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Rivals and analysts suggest that Ellison has improved at managing profit and loss and appeasing superstar creative talent like Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron (arguably the two most important tasks in running a studio).—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
5 Aug. 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
-
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
-
They’re placed on or next to the body and struck with a mallet to release a calming vibration and mellifluous tone that eases muscles, sparking an immediately soothing effect on the nervous system and improving synaptic responses in the brain.—
Terry Elward,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Whatever the manifestation—hair-tucking, shorts-pulling, ball-bouncing, bobbing, pocket-checking, or something else entirely—the familiarity of these motions can have a soothing effect, calming the player’s nerves before a big shot.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But Newsom seems to have found his footing nationally by catering to angry anti-Trump Democrats, his conciliatory remarks in the aftermath of Kirk’s shooting notwithstanding.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Even for those in the North who didn’t care a damn for the four million held in brutal bondage, or those who wanted a soft, conciliatory approach, the war began to take on new and moral meaning.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even after the company turned much of its attention towards other genres — conquering the planet with World of Warcraft — StarCraft 2 arrived in 2010 to critical and player acclaim.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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My mission in life is to empower leaders to cultivate inner mastery and empathy, knowing that true strength comes from conquering inner battles and developing a growth mindset.—
Dr. Adil Dalal,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hong Kong has already implemented a Stablecoin Ordinance, requiring issuers to be licensed and subjecting them to strict oversight of reserves and redemption rights.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
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 décor is incredibly calming, the beds are super comfortable and the bathrooms are spacious.—
Sherrie Nachman,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Forged in the crucible of loss, tension, and a cold New York winter, the trio’s sixth record, Double Infinity, became rangy, loose, and eerily calming.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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