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
Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 10 Sep. 2025
Karina has subjugated the Macris—former president Mauricio and Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Rebecca Lissner, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2025
If the war ends on any terms other than the total subjugation of Ukraine to Russia, an ever more aggrieved and militarized Ukraine will recover economically and rebuild its defenses with Western support.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Verb
Russia’s war against Ukraine has much broader aims than subjugating an independent country.
—Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 10 Sep. 2025
Karina has subjugated the Macris—former president Mauricio and Buenos Aires City Mayor Jorge.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
If the war ends on any terms other than the total subjugation of Ukraine to Russia, an ever more aggrieved and militarized Ukraine will recover economically and rebuild its defenses with Western support.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subjugate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugate
Verb
-
Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Barack Obama also availed himself of caution, reluctance and NATO partners to use air power to subdue chaos on the ground in Libya.—
John Brummett,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the Caribbean, French admirals set their sights on the conquest of sugar islands like Jamaica—the diamonds in King George’s glittering imperial crown.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
His plays gleefully plumb the wickedest aspects of the human psyche, delivering tales of relentless conquest, Jewish perfidy, deals with the devil, and gay love.—
Isaac Butler,
The Atlantic,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
On the other hand, the Panthers haven’t truly been able to establish the run in a month, and that was the key to dominating the possession battle and keeping the ball away from Sean McVay’s offense.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
While energy and transportation dominate the conversation, factory farming remains a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The rest of the game is pretty much total domination.—
Chris McKenna,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Skinny Pedro had conquered for each man in the camp the sacred right to choose how to confront his own death.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That, plus some Sunday morning news interviews and a shot at conquering Cuba, and all for the bargain basement price of one soul.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On a night when the Broncos offense sputtered and Rizzi’s special teams had several face-palm moments, Skinner’s block was the Broncos’ bailout, and the differentiator that underscored a dominating performance on defense.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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And all signs point to Malinin’s dominating in Milan, much as fellow American Nathan Chen did at the 2022 Beijing Games (Chen left competitive skating after his gold).—
Nick Zaccardi,
NBC news,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Perpetrators used deception to move them across country borders and subjected them to harm under the pretense of employment.—
Mónica Ramírez,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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From there, lab directors select the wells with the highest concentrations of each virus, subjecting a reserved portion to further genetic analysis, which shows which subtype of each virus is present.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The last meeting happened in the NFC championship game in the 2022 season, where the Eagles defeated the Niners 31-7 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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The Mean Green's best football season ever wasn't even over before the major figures from that team left, or announced their intentions to bounce ASAP; when the season did end, moments after North Texas defeated San Diego State to win the New Mexico Bowl, is when the great Denton flood began.—
Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subjugate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugate. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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