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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of subjugating
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
But these moves and a little patience could help set the conditions for a resolution over time—one that doesn’t involve Russia destroying and subjugating its neighbor.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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
But these moves and a little patience could help set the conditions for a resolution over time—one that doesn’t involve Russia destroying and subjugating its neighbor.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugating
Noun
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By the time the 2010’s rolled around, audiences were primed for a foreign-film conquest.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
There is no longer channeling but crossing, no longer constraint but conquest; the human flow can beat to its own rhythm, supported by spatial structure yet independent of the formal organization of its support.—
Elinore Weil,
Artforum,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Vin Baker did not want to return a conquering University of Hartford hero just yet.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Best of luck conquering the world today and, of course, do keep in touch.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The game was scoreless after the first half despite the United States dominating possession by nearly 70%.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Even with the Haaland situation dominating headlines, there are clear midfield priorities heading into the next gameweek.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many observers were taken aback by his haughty tone, hypermasculine preoccupation with domination, giddiness about violence and casual attitude toward death.—
Casey Ryan Kelly,
The Conversation,
9 Mar. 2026
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Then for the first time in a real race, rocket starts by Charles Leclerc, who went from fourth to first by Turn 1, and Lewis Hamilton from down in seventh, teased a potential fight that would disrupt the Mercedes domination narrative.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Researchers at the institution spent two years investigating the canvas, matching the signature and the pigments on the canvas to those of other works by Rembrandt, and subjecting the work to macro-XRF scans revealing compositional changes.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
3 Mar. 2026
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There is a real concern that what remains of the system may seek revenge for these events, targeting prisoners and political activists who are still outside prison, detaining them, and subjecting them to executions or severe punishments.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Fairfield University women’s basketball team will head back to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year, after defeating Quinnipiac 51-44 Monday night in the MAAC championship game and getting the conference’s automatic berth in Atlantic City.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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The Bobcats showed flickers of promise, nearly defeating Troy and Georgia Southern in the regular season.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugating. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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