1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
a pacifying treat of milk and cookies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of
the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy
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2
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifying
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
That transformed the industry by giving it a clear American base — and by pacifying agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been, under Biden, openly hostile.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
Adjective
-
Others use kratom to self-treat chronic pain, to get a relaxing high or to self-treat mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
-
And for me, there’s no better detour in Europe than visiting a public bath or spa for a relaxing, good soak.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, publicly acknowledged discussions between the two governments last week and pledged a series of reforms aimed at appeasing Washington, a concession that indicated both the urgency of the domestic crisis and the vulnerability of the regime.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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But then appeasing tradition and upending it both at once, which certainly is the pragmatic philosophy of Lyric, always is a tricky matter.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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As the representative for the armed wing of a human empire, you're tasked with subduing these Lovecraftian abominations and securing a foothold for humanity on alien worlds.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The formula includes soothing hydrators such as glycerin, dimethicone, and glyceryl behenate, plus antioxidants (vitamin E and C derivatives) to help calm and protect the skin.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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The design is modern and clean-lined with soaring peaked ceilings, lots of dark wood, soothing white and neutral accents and, importantly, private outdoor space.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Chait adopted a conciliatory tone, addressing union leaders — who were not present.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Anthropic appears to be trying to cool the tensions with the Pentagon, with Amodei striking a more conciliatory note in the most recent statement.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After conquering the internet underground, perhaps Yeat believes that stadium status is all that’s left.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
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Instilling any notion of a more general intelligence in a machine will be a far more challenging problem than conquering even Go.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Is such an existential shriek into the abyss, all while living in a society suffused by mind-numbing grief and nationalism, worth subjecting yourself to?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
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Cawood introduced Gavitt — a snippet of Cawood’s remarks were carried on the telecast, subjecting him to considerable teasing — who spoke live on national television at the front of a Hyatt ballroom full of people.—
Bill Hancock,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Both Tehran and Washington are pushing their own comforting versions of reality.—
Newsweek Editors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe the pretense was comforting to him, too.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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