as in conquers
to bring under one's control by force of arms
explorers who subjugated the natives in the name of religion
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Recent Examples of subjugates
Its founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, established a religious dictatorship that subjugates the Iranian people under sharia law, while zealously exporting its dogma by force.
—
Elan Journo, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Roberts performs as Yale philosophy Professor Alma, the self-righteousness that dazzles in her eyes subjugates Edebiri as Maggie, her self-effacing star pupil.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Elan Journo, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
Roberts performs as Yale philosophy Professor Alma, the self-righteousness that dazzles in her eyes subjugates Edebiri as Maggie, her self-effacing star pupil.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugates
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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According to Fermilab, the project could help answer some of the biggest physics mysteries, including why matter dominates over antimatter in the universe and how the universe evolved after the Big Bang.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
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This final rule almost makes sense; the idea is that a planet dominates its volume of space gravitationally, and any smaller objects in its orbital vicinity will either get swept up or ejected.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Royd subdues and binds her before taking off to restore the power.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
13 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
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Rather than discarding the residual sludge left behind after conventional anaerobic digestion, the system subjects it to an additional treatment stage known as Advanced Wet Oxidation and Steam Explosion (AWOEx).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
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Ridestore subjects materials to failure testing during both development and production, evaluating bond strength in laminated membranes, water-repellency performance and trim durability before materials move into manufacturing.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Over-spraying leads to streaks, which defeats the entire purpose.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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On the back of four Premier League defeats in a row and a squad pockmarked by injuries, some kind of change was required.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugates. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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