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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On the night the Rams drafted Simpson, general manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay were uncharacteristically subdued during a news conference.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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What the experts say Hiring has picked up while layoffs remain relatively subdued, with little evidence so far that the Iran war is affecting the labor market.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Two days later, Moscow was due to host Russia’s annual May 9 military parade, a celebration linked very intimately with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who had revived this Soviet-era celebration of Stalin’s victory over Nazi Germany and his conquest of Europe.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
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The conquest of Canaan is cited to show that God approves of wiping out whole nations.—
Kenneth Seeskin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 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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Such terrain seems impossible to conquer.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
9 May 2026
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Indian films have had huge success in the domestic market and in some neighboring countries but have not conquered the international market.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
Noun
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With specialist Trevor Baptiste dominating in the faceoff circle, the Seals continued to control time of possession and the lead swelled to 8-2 in the third quarter when Toronto finally snapped a 36-minute scoring drought.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
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Despite dominating possession – the Quakes finished with a 37-6 edge in shots – the Black and Blue weren’t able to equalize until Jasinski’s towering header off a corner kick from Niko Tsakiris in the 57th minute.—
Harold Gutmann,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Homeland Security officials even subjected him to a polygraph test, accusing him and other officials of leaking details of a private meeting.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Kevin Hart subjected himself to one of comedy’s most hallowed and excruciating traditions last night, the roast.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
11 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 17 May. 2026.
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