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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb subdue differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of subdue are conquer, defeat, overcome, overthrow, reduce, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When is conquer a more appropriate choice than subdue?

While the synonyms conquer and subdue are close in meaning, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

How do defeat and vanquish relate to one another, in the sense of subdue?

Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When can overcome be used instead of subdue?

The words overcome and subdue are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

Where would overthrow be a reasonable alternative to subdue?

Although the words overthrow and subdue have much in common, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

In what contexts can reduce take the place of subdue?

While in some cases nearly identical to subdue, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

When would vanquish be a good substitute for subdue?

The words vanquish and subdue can be used in similar contexts, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

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 subdue The crowd was subdued with many dogs on leash (the place is very dog friendly), people of all ages quietly looking at the phones/working or young couples with strollers talking under the shade of the wide umbrellas that dot the area. Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025 Can Spiders Bite? Spiders have venom to subdue prey, but the majority have fangs that are too tiny to puncture human skin. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 14 June 2025 Barnes was subdued with pepper spray after kicking an officer in the stomach while resisting, police said. Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025 Yet, as trade tensions subdued, the stock rebounded 30% from its lowest point. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for subdue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdue
Verb
  • Advertisement Indiana tried its best to overcome heartbreak in Game 7: Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star point guard who was playing with a calf strain in his right leg, suffered an achilles injury in the first quarter.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 23 June 2025
  • The Thunder overcame two Game 7s en route to the title, and they will now forever be called champions.
    Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • The day’s news was dominated by the Federal Reserve.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025
  • America’s nicotine vape market is dominated by products smuggled in violation of federal rules — more than 90% of Chinese vape products enter the country skirting import rules.
    Edgar Domenech, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell defended his department’s handling of recent protests, saying officers acted appropriately to quell unrest — pushing back against criticism about aggressive crowd control tactics used during demonstrations against President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
    Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • President Donald Trump just announced a ceasefire between the Middle Eastern countries—potentially quelling oil market fears of Iran’s plans to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway to global oil trade.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • This will be the second matchup of the season between the two teams, with the Mercury defeating the Sky 94-89 on May 27, 2025.
    Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
  • This article gives her plenty of credit for defeating Sabalenka.
    James Hansen, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • In an improbable turn of events on the back nine on Sunday, JJ Spaun conquered Oakmont to win the U.S. Open by two shots over Robert MacIntyre.
    Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
  • Something Beautiful Wins on Vinyl Something Beautiful does manage to conquer the Vinyl Albums chart, earning Cyrus her third winner on that format-specific list.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • This outdated mentality fosters two counterproductive patterns: emotional repression, in which individuals suppress feelings, and emotional reactivity, where feelings are expressed impulsively and without regulation.
    Andriana Eliadis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Firefighters are working to suppress the fire, which is currently burning with a slow rate of spread.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, niche and local players who master efficiency and identity—like Dragonfly and Goodlyfe—can still carve out major wins.
    Javier Hasse, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Stylish outfit equations have never been easier to master.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Social Security’s chief actuary calculated, based on the assumptions of the 2024 Trustees Report, the impact of eliminating the earnings limit and subjecting all earnings to the 12.4% payroll tax without offsetting benefit increases for very high income earners.
    Christian Weller, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • Diabolical medical experiments were carried out without anesthesia, deliberately infecting victims with diseases, subjecting them to freezing temperatures, disfiguring operations and worse.
    Boston Herald editorial staff, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Subdue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdue. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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