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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdued
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
When cruising along and suddenly pressing the accelerator to pass slower traffic, the response felt more subdued than expected from a 400-plus-horsepower luxury vehicle.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranians were also celebrating the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday that is more subdued this year.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
On the women’s side, the chaos has been even more subdued.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
When cruising along and suddenly pressing the accelerator to pass slower traffic, the response felt more subdued than expected from a 400-plus-horsepower luxury vehicle.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
Verb
Francesca is one of the Bridgerton siblings, whose story up until this point has been more subdued.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Iranians were also celebrating the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, a normally festive holiday that is more subdued this year.
—Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
Scientists also asked the astronauts to report their perception of color and tone on the night side of the Moon, where only the muted hues of sunlight reflected off the Earth illuminate the surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
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In fact, a muted matte texture helps tone down this neon pink manicure.—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It was defeated on a straight party-line vote, and our highly ideological legislature kept the gap between Title IX and Colorado law unresolved.—
Lisa Frizell,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
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In the men’s final Monday, Connecticut and Michigan will play for the national championship after both roundly defeated their opponents in the semifinals.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meta debuted a new major AI model on Wednesday, its first since the costly hiring of Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang nine months ago, as the Facebook parent aims to carve out a niche in a market that’s being dominated by OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Hilton and Bianco have emerged as the top two candidates in early polls for the state's nonpartisan primary, that's typcially dominated by Democrats.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Knowing that any unauthorized demonstrations are harshly suppressed, activists have tried to organize authorized rallies, plastered posters on walls and notice boards, and filed lawsuits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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This process enhances grain connectivity while reducing porosity, resulting in improved electrical conductivity and suppressed lattice thermal conductivity, as per the release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In contrast, Ionic capitals, which are more restrained, currently grace the columns at the entrance of the White House.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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Some had pushed for a slightly more restrained proposal that would have given Democrats the upper hand in nine of the 11 House seats.—
Russell Berman,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My friend Sarah became a wonderful knitter, her sister mastered watercolors, and the Best Friend would not give it a rest about composting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
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These calling devices are easily mastered, and thousands of turkeys have been called in with them.—
Bruce Brady,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Forsythe, meanwhile, conquered her blocking problems by spending myriad hours in the driveway with her brother Lucas.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Over the centuries, it would be conquered by empires of varying beliefs.—
Seth Doane,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Redick shouted out Bronny James for his efforts against Indiana after the game, lauding his defensive intensity – often being switched onto Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and holding his own – along with a late mid-range jumper that quelled concerns of a once-improbable Indiana comeback.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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The shooter killed an instructor and wounded two others before the ROTC cadets attacked him and quelled the threat, showing incredible bravery in the face of danger.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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