placating 1 of 2

adjective

as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility a placating comment that seemed to calm everyone down a bit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

placating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of placate
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
Verb
Too few sun loungers for the 116 rooms mean the charming pool staff are endlessly placating displaced and disgruntled sunbathers. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026 But now these same firms have to navigate maintaining ties with the president while placating Democrats who could very well control both houses of Congress next year. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026 In hopes of placating his daughters, Andrew bought Lizzie and Emma a home to rent out, per American Heritage. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 Andy Burnham’s balancing act Rising costs also add to the pressure on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has pledged to tackle the cost-of-living burden but is also tasked with balancing the public books and placating the bond market. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 From the theorist’s vantage, the narrator’s couches will always be placating. — Maya Binyam, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026 Scam Buster is a bot that will reply to scammers in your inbox, placating them with the same social engineering tactics that scammers use, such as impersonation, flattery, and urgent messaging. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026 The note is there when Sugar gets back, placating his suspicions (for now) and deflating his ego. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026 Putin has struggled to manage fighting Kyiv on the one hand and placating domestic constituencies on the other. — Anna Nemtsova, Time, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for placating
  1. conciliatory
  2. appeasing
  3. soothing
  4. comforting
  5. benevolent
  6. pacific
  7. peaceful
  8. calming
Adjective
  • Morgan has a nice, conciliatory dinner with Gabe, which leads to a hug outside the restaurant, where Smallwood has some paparazzi strategically waiting.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Yet on balance, the president has been more conciliatory than competitive toward China.
    — Ali Wyne, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of conciliatory
Verb
  • As Aesha always says, appeasing rich people is a huge part of the job.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The bill now also includes a compromise on stablecoin yield aimed at appeasing banking interests by directing the Treasury secretary to restrict rewards if deposit flight from community banks occurs on a substantial scale.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of appeasing
Adjective
  • Ranging from loud and piercing to soft and soothing, the sounds of police surveillance drones mingled and merged with those of the protesters’ countersurveillance drones.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The noodles vibrate with heat, ricocheting between the prickly Sichuan pepper, hot garlic, chiles and soothing sesame.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of soothing
Adjective
  • The pastas, in particular, are worth a visit alone, especially the rigatoni alla vodka, which uses a one-two umami punch of white miso and guanciale, along with the deliriously comforting rollatini with white ragu.
    — Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Silica and perlite also give skin a matte, slick-free finish, while the brand’s signature thermal spring water adds a comforting touch.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of comforting
Adjective
  • This isn’t about shaming the Hawks for not being benevolent enough.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • The majority of the industry’s bycatch is jellyfish, pacific cod, and squid.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • National Aquarium cams The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, operates a series of cameras of marine animals, including reef sharks, jellyfish and fish in a Pacific coral reef.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 June 2026
Definition of pacific
Adjective
  • After the peaceful march in Barcelona, some protesters started to smash storefronts of brand-name stores on Paseo de Gracia, a main shopping boulevard.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The violence erupted after a largely peaceful march as Spain experienced its first general strike in 14 years, with workers demanding relief from skyrocketing rents and the rising cost of living.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of peaceful
Adjective
  • Second Season provides socialization and activities for its members in a calming, open-space concept that includes an indoor garden area, a home theater, a 1950s-style café, a craft area, a meditation spot and a nail salon.
    — Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The calming, tone-on-tone abstract paintings upstairs and downstairs are by the British painter Susan Gunn.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of calming

Browse Nearby Words

placates
placating
placative
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Cite this Entry

“Placating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/placating. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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