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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
Verb
-
Nicholas has since let go of the fear of appeasing the beauty standards of others.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
1 Apr. 2025 -
Knee-jerk reactions aimed at appeasing stakeholders can backfire, raising questions about whether initiatives are genuine or simply for show.—
Anjali Chaudhry,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Our Reading Accent Chair is a must, with fabric and color options available in delicate Cream Linen or soothing Olive Green.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 June 2025
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For many aging pets, car rides can be a soothing and enjoyable outing.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
And there is very little reason for Israel or the U.S. to think that a reconstituted Iran will become more conciliatory toward either country once the war ends.—
Shervin Malekzadeh,
Mercury News,
26 June 2025
-
For his part, Schumer appeared to acknowledge Mamdani's momentum with a conciliatory post on X the day after the election.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Is there not a single executive somewhere at Netflix to greenlight a fresh retelling of the core Hanukkah story of pride, miracles, and determined guerilla warfare against a conquering despot?—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
20 Dec. 2024
-
Then English speakers began conquering Celtic, Native American, African, Australian and other peoples, pressuring or forcing them to give up their languages.—
Ross Perlin,
The Dial,
14 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Vancouver, meanwhile, fell short against the New York Rangers, despite thoroughly dominating play and out-chancing the struggling Rangers by a brutally lopsided margin.—
Thomas Drance,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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Outside cash is dominating the special election for a new county supervisor in the South Bay.—
Andrew Keatts,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that Tehran is not actively pursuing a bomb.—
Jon Gambrell,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
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My students said these are small, unexpected spots that provide an excellent opportunity for a quiet, peaceful break, to be present, whether enjoyed alone or with a friend.—
Eric Zillmer,
The Conversation,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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This will be both disarming and believable, allowing your daughter to propose times that are both far off and inconvenient.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
15 Dec. 2022
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What follows instead is a pivotal listen that conveys trauma in an assured yet disarming way.—
Leah Greenblatt,
EW.com,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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The boys play benevolent Nathan Fielder types helping their friend Karli rehearse an upcoming appearance on the popular social-media show SubwayTakes; the prompts she’s presented with in their VR simulator offer a perfect place to nest jokes.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
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Murals across Iran feature his seemingly benevolent white-bearded face.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
25 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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