as in obedience
a bending to the authority or control of another
an oligarchy requires subordination by the masses to the will of a tiny elite
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Recent Examples of subordination
This back-and-forth struggle to dominate American institutions testifies to their surpassing value and to their insusceptibility to permanent subordination.
—
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Instead, officials reinforce colonial subordination while deepening the vulnerability of immigrant communities.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
The documentation should show the commercial rationale for the advance, a repayment schedule, any security or subordination terms, and actions consistent with a creditor relationship (for example, formal demands for payment, enforcement steps or arms‑length interest rates).
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Trump’s Oval Office subordination of the Europeans was stunning.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordination
Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Instead, officials reinforce colonial subordination while deepening the vulnerability of immigrant communities.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
The documentation should show the commercial rationale for the advance, a repayment schedule, any security or subordination terms, and actions consistent with a creditor relationship (for example, formal demands for payment, enforcement steps or arms‑length interest rates).
—Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Trump’s Oval Office subordination of the Europeans was stunning.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subordination
Noun
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For example, a pet owner who doesn't have to absorb the full costs of a $5,000 emergency surgery bill may be better positioned to continue purchasing high-quality food, maintaining regular dental cleanings or enrolling in obedience classes afterward.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Both local teams were certified in four disciplines that show off a police dog’s obedience and skills, that include narcotics and cadaver detection and tracking ability.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Maine’s submission included a bone from the endangered North Atlantic right whale.—
Holly Ramer,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
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Molaei said that the laboratory is seeing around 150 tick submissions daily, which is a new record for the state’s tick testing program.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Iran was found to be out of compliance in the early 2000s due to a secret nuclear weapons program.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Automated governance scans the entire system to identify sensitive information and track its lineage, providing a complete map of the data to ensure secure compliance.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subordination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subordination. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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