as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the subjugation of much of Europe by Napoléon
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Recent Examples of subjugation
By the closing epilogue of the MM romance novel, the author must figure out how to create honest stakes for a gay couple in an overwhelmingly heteronormative context that threatens the heroes with societal subjugation and maybe even physical punishment.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
If the alternative is subjugation, Europeans could well rise to such a challenge.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
This aggressive subjugation of a country that was not, in fact, a threat to the United States doesn’t make America safer or more prosperous and likely makes the whole region less stable.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
This level of dealmaking far exceeds the bowling alley bets and small-time street gambles that have shaped Marty’s way of moving in the world, and Rockwell represents the kind of ruthless American capitalism and competition that requires humiliation and subjugation.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
Compared to the Russian hope at the start of the war for the total subjugation of Ukraine, and the past 400 years of Ukrainian history, it could indeed be called a qualified Ukrainian victory.
—Anatol Lieven, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Some have also seized the opportunity to revive familiar nationalist rhetoric, invoking longstanding grievances over Japan’s subjugation of much of China in the 1930s and 40s.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
The United States has supported Ukraine in resisting Russia’s attempt at subjugation, sending billions of dollars’ worth of advanced weaponry to its armed forces.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
How could the woman who wrote so piercingly about women’s subjugation subjugate herself to not just one but two men?
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
If the alternative is subjugation, Europeans could well rise to such a challenge.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
This aggressive subjugation of a country that was not, in fact, a threat to the United States doesn’t make America safer or more prosperous and likely makes the whole region less stable.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
This level of dealmaking far exceeds the bowling alley bets and small-time street gambles that have shaped Marty’s way of moving in the world, and Rockwell represents the kind of ruthless American capitalism and competition that requires humiliation and subjugation.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
Compared to the Russian hope at the start of the war for the total subjugation of Ukraine, and the past 400 years of Ukrainian history, it could indeed be called a qualified Ukrainian victory.
—Anatol Lieven, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Some have also seized the opportunity to revive familiar nationalist rhetoric, invoking longstanding grievances over Japan’s subjugation of much of China in the 1930s and 40s.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
The United States has supported Ukraine in resisting Russia’s attempt at subjugation, sending billions of dollars’ worth of advanced weaponry to its armed forces.
—Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
How could the woman who wrote so piercingly about women’s subjugation subjugate herself to not just one but two men?
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugation
Noun
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Now, she is being recast as a brilliant linguist who survived conquest, enslavement and patriarchy.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Tariffs, conquests; all are subverted to this man’s ego.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After Doncic’s third-quarter domination, James tagged in and scored five consecutive points to end the quarter.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Man United have plenty history worth telling from down the years, from the 1958 Munich air disaster, to the 1968 European Cup-winning team under Matt Busby, to Alex Ferguson’s domination of the Premier League era.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If the approval of the most important tastemakers (gay people) wasn’t enough, The New Yorker had crowned Industry as the best TV show of 2024, with the show dominating critics’ year-end lists, from Vanity Fair to Vulture and The Guardian.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
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Essentially, the Golden Globes TV honors were a redux of the TV Academy’s Emmy Awards winners with The Pitt, The Studio and Adolescence dominating both.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugation. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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