1
as in overcomes
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of subdues
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdues
Verb
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Leo consistently overcomes challenges such as low light, rapid movement, and split second moments to produce sharp, compelling images.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
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LithSonic overcomes this challenge by using supersonic flow, similar to the conditions inside a rocket engine, to achieve ultra-rapid cooling through a process known as shock quenching.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They're initially separated, because of John's military job that took him away from his family for so long, but their expedition brings them closer again, reminding them that love conquers all – even when you're lost in space.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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Cruise down Market Street—skimming past buzzing tech hubs—while your autonomous vehicle conquers steep hills and tight turns with uncanny precision.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin by up to 80%, delaying sleep onset when viewed within an hour of bedtime and fragmenting deep sleep.—
John La Puma,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
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Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If Mexico defeats Italy, they are guaranteed to move on, leaving the final spot between Team USA and Italy.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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Learning from losing Anthony Edwards is stealing the superpowers of whoever defeats him.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The player who ultimately dominates the board takes home a prize of JPY10 million yen ($63,000).—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Lesion location frequently determines which symptom dominates, and some adolescents present only with debilitating menstrual pain that has been normalized within their families for generations.—
Sarah Berg,
STAT,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While the presumption was always that Messi would renew with the Herons, the news quells any lingering anxiety.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Twenty years later, an adult Guinevere is building her ghostwriting career when her estranged artist brother announces an installation titled Mother, which quells disturbing revelations in Guinevere.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kravitz masters the concept of blending genres, mixing crystal light fixtures and an exceptionally rare $45,000 leather panel bed with artisanal pieces and textures in his bedding and rugs.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
11 Mar. 2026
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From basic fraud claims and partnership disputes to the more esoteric involving combustion turbines, citrus canker or automobile line recalls or land use development issues, Waldman masters the material and, time and again, has delivered big-time results for his clients.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jude relocates this tale of troubled conscience to present-day Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, and subjects it to a corrosively cynical twist.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Hjorth, a devoted reader of Kierkegaard, subjects the mothers in her novels to a special kind of moral scrutiny.—
Elaine Blair,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subdues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdues. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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