Synonyms of subdues

subdues

verb

present tense third-person singular of subdue

1

as in overcomes

to achieve a victory over

subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• overcomes
• defeats
• masters
• conquers
• takes
• beats
• gets
• stops
• dispatches
• surmounts
• succeeds
• upends
• licks
• wins (against)
• bests
• overwhelms
• overmatches
• prevails (over)
• gets the better of
• triumphs (over)
• overbears
• trims
• buries
• gets around
• does down
• worsts
• sweeps
• finishes
• skunks
• surpasses
• annihilates
• slaughters
• crushes
• flattens
• excels
• overpowers
• vanquishes
• exceeds
• subjugates
• clobbers
• scores
• knocks for a loop
• upsets
• thrashes
• whips
• trounces
• flourishes
• routs
• wallops
• edges (out)
• transcends
• overthrows
• bombs
• blows out
• drubs
• breaks
• tops
• outshines
• blows away
• unseats
• smokes
• noses out
• outdoes
• outstrips
• outdistances
• waxes
• caps
• eclipses
• creams
• shellacs
• skins
• overtops
• pips
• knocks over
• knocks off
• outfights
• snows under
• betters
• aces (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loses (to)
• falls
• goes down
• fails
• collapses
• gives up
• goes under
• folds
• flops
• flunks
• washes out

2

as in conquers

to bring under one's control by force of arms

subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows

Synonyms & Similar Words

• conquers
• dominates
• subjects
• overcomes
• defeats
• overpowers
• vanquishes
• subjugates
• enslaves
• pacifies
• reduces
• subordinates
• beats
• annihilates
• crushes
• smashes
• suppresses
• quells
• whips
• thrashes
• licks
• routs
• represses
• wallops
• clobbers
• mows (down)
• prevails (over)
• smothers
• trounces
• triumphs (over)
• silences
• quashes
• squelches
• squashes
• drubs
• clamps down (on)
• cracks down (on)
• breaks
• puts down
• snuffs (out)
• skunks

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberates
• frees
• springs
• emancipates
• unbinds
• discharges
• releases
• enfranchises
• unchains
• manumits
• unfetters
• uncages

3

as in suppresses

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

• suppresses
• quells
• represses
• destroys
• crushes
• overcomes
• stifles
• silences
• extinguishes
• squashes
• sits on
• quashes
• squelches
• demolishes
• clamps down (on)
• snuffs (out)
• cracks down (on)
• slaps down
• quenches
• dominates
• puts down
• obliterates
• smothers
• annihilates
• strangles
• conquers
• decimates
• throttles
• overpowers
• vanquishes
• overwhelms
• subjugates
• exterminates
• smashes
• ruins
• douses
• devastates
• wrecks
• wastes
• wipes out
• puts out
• desolates
• nukes
• rubs out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• helps
• assists
• supports
• aids
• abets
• backs
• provokes
• incites
• stirs
• instigates
• promotes
• encourages
• fosters
• whips (up)
• advances
• nourishes
• cultivates
• nurtures
• furthers
• foments
• props up
• forwards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of subdues

In person, Huang subdues his ironic braggadocio with polite eye contact and rolling belly laughs at his own jokes. — Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

El Nino also subdues the hurricane season in the Atlantic because there is so much heat in the Pacific that outcompetes the Atlantic, Berardelli added. — ABC News, 8 May 2026

Royd subdues and binds her before taking off to restore the power. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025

For those who are more into curves than angles, the Bialetti Moon takes all the functional elements of the moka stovetop espresso maker and subdues them with a rounded stainless steel silhouette. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025

However, a strong fusion of tonka wood and sage subdues the sweet sensation, making the fragrance genderless. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019