subjugating 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

subjugating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of subjugate
as in conquering
to bring under one's control by force of arms explorers who subjugated the natives in the name of religion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
For years, Putin has been ideologically committed to subjugating all of Ukraine, attacking and reattacking the country in order to control all of it. — Dmytro Kuleba, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026 The ruling was widely seen by progressives as subjugating the role of the individual in the election process to that of the corporation. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 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
  1. conquest
  2. conquering
  3. dominating
  4. subduing
  5. domination
  6. subjecting
  7. defeating
Noun
  • Napoleon Bonaparte, having already lost half a million soldiers in Russia, was still an emperor dreaming of new conquests.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Columbus, for all his accomplishments in exploration, also had a brutal history of killing, raping, and enslaving natives, and forcing cultural assimilation and Christianity during his conquest of the Americas.
    — Mackenzie Chase, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of conquest
Verb
  • Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
  • During the talk, Bardem reflected on a glittering career, from his early life growing up in one of Spain’s most prestigious acting families to winning an Oscar and, this year, finally conquering his fear of the stage.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of conquering
Noun
  • The mood at practice Monday morning was upbeat after such a dominating performance versus Middle Tennessee.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Florida is one of the best teams in the country and is coming off an absolutely dominating performance against a fellow top-10 team.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominating
Verb
  • The school's head teacher, Krzysztof Ochmanski, was injured while subduing the teenager, officials said.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The handful of Israeli passengers grappled with the copilot for several minutes before subduing him and binding his hands with the cord from a set of headphones.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of subduing
Noun
  • Brooke Reese, the host of Apple Music’s Global Chart Show, says that beyond radio play and chart domination, audiences appreciate an evocative and vulnerable performance, which doesn’t always require jaw-dropping vocals.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Water polo This was supposed to be the year another team in boys water polo was supposed to rise up and end Newport Harbor’s domination.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of domination
Verb
  • In the late 1700s, British scientists ran bold experiments on thermoregulation, subjecting themselves (and a dog) to a piping hot room and observing that — unlike the steak and eggs accompanying them — their own bodies did not cook.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The Falcons were waiving Harrison, subjecting the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end to claims from the NFL’s other 31 teams.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of subjecting
Verb
  • The Brewers defended home turf in Game 1 of the NLCS, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2–1 in a tight pitching duel.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Here the goal is to traverse a sprawling castle, defeating all kinds of monsters and gathering gear and experience points to get stronger.
    — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeating

Browse Nearby Words

subjugates
subjugating
subjugation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subjugating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugating. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All