as in conciliatory
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
sent his girlfriend flowers as a propitiatory gesture for a date gone sour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propitiatory
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
Adjective
-
To achieve excellence in AI, nations need the compute, but also chip production, AI talent, workforce and corporate adoption, benevolent government regulation, and a thriving ecosystem of AI startups.—
John Koetsier,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
And of course Wendy tells Nibs the truth, putting them both on guard against the manipulations of their seemingly benevolent guardians.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 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
-
Even kind gestures or neutral actions can be misinterpreted as hostile or manipulative.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
But some of them weren’t kind and that does something to you psychologically.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Then complement it with a refreshing fattoush salad or one of our comforting homestyle stews, which reflect the heart of our kitchen.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Mary’s mother, Cora, remains a stalwart and comforting presence.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
John Mariani Inside the walls the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi is a peaceful square whose surrounding buildings with their green shutters echo the various architectural styles of the city’s history.—
John Mariani,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Police watched the Capitol lawn from atop a nearby parking garage, but the event was peaceful.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
My late grandfather, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, served in the pacific campaign.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Propitiatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propitiatory. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share