subjugating 1 of 2

as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control a military occupation that was seen by the people of that country as just another subjugating by an outside power

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subjugating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of subjugate

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subjugating
Noun
The anti-Zionist project of ending Israel’s existence as a Jewish state implies killing, subjugating, or re-exiling more than half of the world’s Jewish population. David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
At the center of Putin’s governing intent is subjugating Ukraine and forcing the West to accept that outcome. Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Every administration has its own policy agenda and preferences, but this goes beyond that, subjugating science to partisanship and holding research and infrastructure money hostage throughout much of the country. David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Likewise, meekness once meant not becoming weak, but subjugating power to reason – not letting anger take control. Timothy J. Pawl, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026 However, once Hernán Cortés triumphed, the conquistadors went from waging war — vanquishing the Aztecs — to the project of subjugating Indigenous holdouts and building a self-sustaining territory loyal to the crown. Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugating
Noun
  • Statues of some of Hungary’s leaders are displayed around two colonnades on one side of the square, which was commissioned in 1896 to commemorate the anniversary of the Hungarian conquest 1,000 years earlier.
    Lucy Handley, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Michigan’s win against Oklahoma stands out as the Big Ten’s most impressive nonconference conquest so far.
    Austin Meek, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Speaking of those chickens, Schreiber—whose fear of poultry started as a child, when his hippie parents moved the family to a commune in Canada—seems to be successfully conquering this particular anxiety.
    Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
  • John Deacon, Queen The members of Queen were magpies who could throw just about anything, from opera to rockabilly, into their world-conquering arena rock.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman shared that nugget while talking on Fox Sports about the Chiefs’ dominating win over Denver.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Though Emmanwori’s absence was still felt on Wednesday, the rest of Seattle’s secondary — familiar and unfamiliar names alike — delivered in a dominating way.
    Andrew Destin, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Beer that was fresh, full of flavor and aroma, and hadn’t traveled hundreds of miles or been pasteurized subduing the bright flavors.
    Blaine Callahan, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says.
    Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The pure domination from the Minutemen from start to finish in this one was a sight to behold.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Bell has wanted to break up the domination of Garfield in the Eastern League, so why not get all the school’s top athletes to help?
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Ford had introduced the moving assembly line in 1913, subjecting workers to repeating the same easily learned task again and again—boosting productivity and disciplining laborers.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Carr has been investigating diversity practices at Comcast since February 2025 and not ruled out subjecting its NBC licenses to an early review.
    Reuters, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Top Plays from Jets @ Titans To an outside observer, what happened Sunday afternoon — a team with low expectations defeating a Tennessee Titans team with even lower expectations — might not seem all that meaningful.
    Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The Kangaroos accomplished that goal, defeating Paschal 31-18 and entering district competition on a positive note.
    Gavin Vieck, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Subjugating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugating. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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