as in muted
not excessively showy
the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms
subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
labored through the night to subdue the river's rising waters by building a wall of sandbags around their property
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdued
Courtney Fingar, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Lennar's earnings report last week also showed subdued activity , with the homebuilder leaning on incentives to gin up demand.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 June 2025
Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are continuing on a subdued trajectory, reflecting persistent macroeconomic headwinds and investor caution.
—Courtney Fingar, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Lennar's earnings report last week also showed subdued activity , with the homebuilder leaning on incentives to gin up demand.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 22 June 2025
Verb
The wreaths range from classic and subdued to colorful and illuminated, and they can be used year after year thanks to their faux-yet-realistic-looking materials.
—Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
Here, contemporary design prevails–muted tones, clean lines, and a focus on natural Scottish wellness.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The passive radiators are surrounded by customizable LED lighting, however, which lends the muted tones a bit of personality.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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How the sprint race unfolded Hamilton dominated, the gap over Piastri widening to nearly seven seconds on the final lap, with Piastri and Verstappen finishing second and third at the Shanghai International Circuit.—
Luke Smith,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
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Ali pummelled Foreman in the ring and dominated him on the PR front as well.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As this collection of stories shows, libraries (and librarians) can be both quiet witnesses to and active participants in social change and history-making events.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Aug. 2025
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In a travel landscape where nearly every detail can be planned, controlled, and optimized, a quiet countertrend is emerging—one that celebrates the unknown.—
Ashley Kennedy,
Robb Report,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Service is friendly but discreet, something the Swiss have mastered like few others.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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That that's something that's really, really hard to replicate, and he's really mastered it.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Scarlett Johansson has conquered the superhero franchise, been nominated for several prestigious awards and years ago made her way into Saturday Night Live’s prestigious Five-Timers Club.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Jan. 2025
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By contrast, Xinjiang was conquered in the mid-18th century by the Qing dynasty (around the same time the British were marching on India) and then claimed by the current People’s Republic of China after its formation in 1949.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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From there, though, the Magic closed within 90-80 late in the third period with a 12-0 run that was quelled by a Pelle Larsson three-point play.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
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But the speculation in space, nuclear, mobility, and quantum names must be quelled to get a real ending to this.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But the whisky never strays too far from its wood-spiced core, with restrained elements of aspen, pine, birch, and cedar wood.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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The restrained approach, however, raised a question: Why didn’t the Cubs get another starting pitcher before Thursday’s deadline?—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
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