as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
a placating comment that seemed to calm everyone down a bit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of
attempted to placate the screaming child by offering him a cookie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of placating
Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
If Paul’s creed is essentially Roman, then Christianity looks, from the outset, like a religion trained to live with empire, its compass always set toward placating power.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But there’s no guarantee her successor will have any better success at placating the president.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Without these questions, our decisions become about placating requests.
—Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The story’s correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused CBS News management of placating the White House, turning the decision into a public relations fiasco for the network.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The majority of the more than 200 speakers at the hearings, however, criticized the draft plan, often with passionate testimony, arguing that the state was simply placating water users and failing to demand the deeper water cutbacks necessary for restoring the delta and the upstream rivers.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Masahiro Sakurai made the biggest Smash yet, as the title suggests, taking years of post-release development and placating a fanbase that had hulking expectations, ending up with the third best selling game on Nintendo Switch.
—Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2025
The nominee will face a high-wire act of placating the president (who wants steep interest rate cuts) while keeping the trust of investors worried about high inflation and political influence on the central bank.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
In your opinion, should the shop have handled this differently—perhaps compensating or at least placating me?
—Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026
If Paul’s creed is essentially Roman, then Christianity looks, from the outset, like a religion trained to live with empire, its compass always set toward placating power.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
But there’s no guarantee her successor will have any better success at placating the president.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
Without these questions, our decisions become about placating requests.
—Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The story’s correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused CBS News management of placating the White House, turning the decision into a public relations fiasco for the network.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The majority of the more than 200 speakers at the hearings, however, criticized the draft plan, often with passionate testimony, arguing that the state was simply placating water users and failing to demand the deeper water cutbacks necessary for restoring the delta and the upstream rivers.
—Kurtis Alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Masahiro Sakurai made the biggest Smash yet, as the title suggests, taking years of post-release development and placating a fanbase that had hulking expectations, ending up with the third best selling game on Nintendo Switch.
—Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2025
The nominee will face a high-wire act of placating the president (who wants steep interest rate cuts) while keeping the trust of investors worried about high inflation and political influence on the central bank.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for placating
Verb
-
Over the past month, Iranian officials have tried to carefully balance negotiations with Trump while appeasing powerful factions across the country’s diverse political landscape, including the Paydari group.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
-
Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, publicly acknowledged discussions between the two governments last week and pledged a series of reforms aimed at appeasing Washington, a concession that indicated both the urgency of the domestic crisis and the vulnerability of the regime.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Xi nonetheless struck a more conciliatory tone when describing the overall relationship.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
In their joint statement Wednesday, the district and the station struck a conciliatory tone.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Those are paired with a soothing lineup of Centella asiatica, madecassoside, panthenol, and allantoin to keep skin balanced (as irritation can worsen pigmentation).—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
9 May 2026
-
Opt for Warm Lighting Harsh lighting is the opposite of soothing, says Brooks.—
Michelle Mastro,
The Spruce,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Two of fall's most comforting flavors combined?—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
11 May 2026
-
The production is cold, distant, and uncertain, like the world lately, but within the song the lyrics feel warm and comforting.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
That’s particularly noteworthy with sloths, with faces configured in a permanently benevolent expression.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
First bred in Canada and known as a fine water rescue dog, these gentle giants are supremely kind to everyone and display a benevolent, protective nature.—
Aditya Simha,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Courtesy: Apple Apple on Tuesday sent invites to the media and analysts for a launch event at its campus on September 9 at 10 A.M pacific time.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Hiking in Kolob Canyons offers the kind of peaceful solitude that’s difficult to find in Zion.—
Dave Parfitt,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
-
The mood is cocooning, cinematic, and wonderfully peaceful.—
Kathryn O’Shea-Evans,
Robb Report,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
That included refreshing the children’s area, creation of a separate space for teens, repositioning the meeting rooms, placing new furniture along the popular glass arc wall that overlooks the River to River Greenway trail and building a quiet zone area and a sensory friendly calming room.—
Elliot Mann,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
-
For extra calming, centella ansiatica further soothes redness.—
Rosa Jisoo Pyo,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Placating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/placating. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
