as in muted
not excessively showy
the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms
subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
labored through the night to subdue the river's rising waters by building a wall of sandbags around their property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdued
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
The tune opens at No. 30, in last place, on Billboard’s ranking of the tracks that reach the largest audience at radio stations that play the more subdued, mature-leaning style of pop, known as Adult Contemporary.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025
Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
Apple continues to generate chatter for its landmark 1984 commercial that shows an athlete hurling a sledgehammer at propaganda video, waking citizens from a subdued state.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
The tune opens at No. 30, in last place, on Billboard’s ranking of the tracks that reach the largest audience at radio stations that play the more subdued, mature-leaning style of pop, known as Adult Contemporary.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
The wreaths range from classic and subdued to colorful and illuminated, and they can be used year after year thanks to their faux-yet-realistic-looking materials.
—Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
However, the muted consumer and producer price reports for February might not necessarily be good news for the U.S. Federal Reserve.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Hadid’s makeup included softer elements, like faint brows and a muted lip to accentuate her look.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The score was not the only statistic that was dominated by one team over another.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Texas also dominated on the ground with 292 rushing yards, while Clemson managed only 76.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
On the first day of the legal tampering period, the Cowboys were quiet for most of the day and then added a running back.—
Saad Yousuf,
The Athletic,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Your views might be climbing, but your inbox stays quiet.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Things happened—or didn’t happen—depending on who had the ear of the president at any moment and who had mastered the dark arts of bureaucratic warfare.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Dec. 2024
-
And Valverde has mastered this facet of the game, with five of his six goals this season coming from shots from outside the penalty area — the most by any player in Europe’s top five domestic leagues.—
Mario Cortegana,
The Athletic,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Scarlett Johansson has conquered the superhero franchise, been nominated for several prestigious awards and years ago made her way into Saturday Night Live’s prestigious Five-Timers Club.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Jan. 2025
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By contrast, Xinjiang was conquered in the mid-18th century by the Qing dynasty (around the same time the British were marching on India) and then claimed by the current People’s Republic of China after its formation in 1949.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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From there, though, the Magic closed within 90-80 late in the third period with a 12-0 run that was quelled by a Pelle Larsson three-point play.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
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But the speculation in space, nuclear, mobility, and quantum names must be quelled to get a real ending to this.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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His restrained direction keeps the brothers in check and underpowered.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2025
-
The statement, written by lawmakers who are typically more restrained in their comments given their sensitive roles on security issues, contained some of the party’s most pointed criticism yet of Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk just hours before the president was to address a joint session of Congress.—
Carl Hulse,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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