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
Relevance
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
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
There’s her creative director, Celeste (filmmaker/actress Hailey Benton Gates), Charli’s friend and the only one with a foot in reality, but with no other purpose in life but to subjugate herself to her employer.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
After weeks of subjugation at Linda's hands, Bradley discovers that his fiancée and her boat guide had come to the island to rescue them—but Linda killed the pair to avoid returning to the real world.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Verb
It’s subjugated to a larger sense of what’s called the universal destination of all goods.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
There’s her creative director, Celeste (filmmaker/actress Hailey Benton Gates), Charli’s friend and the only one with a foot in reality, but with no other purpose in life but to subjugate herself to her employer.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
Many slaves, Murray noted, internalized this ideal of American freedom despite their own subjugation.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
After weeks of subjugation at Linda's hands, Bradley discovers that his fiancée and her boat guide had come to the island to rescue them—but Linda killed the pair to avoid returning to the real world.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugate
Verb
-
They were abandoned during the Mongol invasion in 1241 and then subdued by the Ottoman empire in 1526.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Worley physically fought the officer who used a Taser to subdue him, an affidavit states.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Situated at the crossroads of empires — from Persian and Roman to Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman — it has long been shaped by conquest and survival.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
One of the contributors to Albuquerque’s conquest was the Hindu population in Goa, which, fearing extinction, had not supported the Muslim rule under Yusuf Adil Shah.—
Sanat Pai RaikarAll,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While French and English companies have long dominated the extraction industry in Cameroon, Chinese companies have established a significant presence in recent years, particularly in the gold mining regions of the east.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
It’s been nearly a decade since California voters legalized recreational cannabis, but production and sales remain outlawed in most of the state — and the black market dominates.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nike’s track record mired by labor, equity concerns Nike’s domination of the sports apparel industry comes with controversy, and the company has come into the crosshairs of numerous lawsuits over the years.—
Hannarose McGuinness,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
-
There’s a new favorite to win the Big VIII League baseball race after Corona’s domination the last few years.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One after another, the avatars of Democratic success in Georgia took the stage Saturday and were greeted like conquering heroes by hundreds of party faithful at the annual Carter-Lewis gala.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Basically, look for a design that looks like as though was made for walking in the Mediterranean, but also for conquering the city streets.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Without ever being great or dominating possession, Liverpool showed the shape might become an effective blueprint for the Premier League.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
No double-digit lead is safe because anyone can go on a dominating run, as Michigan and UConn both did on Sunday.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Such a model would probably be a good edition to a home or office, so buyers can show off their wheels without subjecting viewers to a garage.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2026
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The researchers subjected amputated tissues from tadpoles and embryonic mice to various laboratory tests, explains molecular biologist Georgios Tsissios, the study’s lead author.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Caroline Spadorcia went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI as Archbishop Williams (4-3) defeated Latin Academy, 6-3.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
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Hamadeh was elected to a reliably red West Valley district in 2024 after being defeated by Mayes in 2022.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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