as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms
explorers who subjugated the natives in the name of religion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the subjugation of much of Europe by Napoléon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subjugate
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
Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Many slaves, Murray noted, internalized this ideal of American freedom despite their own subjugation.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
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
Noun
The continent’s failure to learn could lead not just to the subjugation of individual nations but to the end of the European project.
—Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Many slaves, Murray noted, internalized this ideal of American freedom despite their own subjugation.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugate
Verb
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Sentiment has remained subdued ever since.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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The atmosphere at the Palace game was strangely subdued, to begin with, lacking the edge or jeopardy that would usually be associated at this stage of the season.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Note the mention of Hemingway here (talk about a white person going up against brown skinned people in his conquests and exploitations).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
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Depicting the Norman conquest of England 1100 years ago, the Bayeux tapestry is an astonishing 230 feet long and, according to the British Museum, features 58 scenes, each rendered in colored wool embroidery on flax.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Public safety dominated the exchange, with sharp disagreements over crime trends, law enforcement authority and the role sheriffs should play in statewide policy.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The Seahawks dominated the Patriots in a 29-13 victory in February that secured the franchise’s second NFL title.—
Rob Maaddi,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Noun
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The 2026 Oscars marked the end of a nearly year-old chapter full of global domination for the film.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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There’s outperformance, and then there’s what Technology has done versus the rest of the market over the last six weeks — complete domination.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
Verb
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China seems to be the place to visit for world leaders over the past two weeks, and not simply for runners wanting to conquer the Great Wall Marathon over the weekend.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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But soon the 50-year-old character actor will be joining the DCU and plotting to conquer and collect the world as Brainiac, the villain of James Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Noun
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With such a dominating presence in the first three seasons of the PWHL, the Frost brass expects their roster to be raided.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
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Local leaders say changes in water flow have also contributed to the crisis, with freshwater now dominating areas where saltwater once helped suppress or kill Hydrilla verticillata.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Also, 2024 saw the largest data breaches in history, impacting billions of users and subjecting customers to the potential of having personal data exposed and ultimately exploited.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
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The incident subjected museum leadership to intense scrutiny over the security lapse, which independent investigations have framed as symptomatic of broader systemic infrastructure failures.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The left fielder had a big night against one of his former teams with a home run and four RBIs on Thursday as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Royals 6-2 in front of 14,913 at Rate Field.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
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The missile will reportedly have a host of capabilities intended to defeat ballistic missile defenses, but Russia has not built a good track record with the vehicle.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugate. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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