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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of subdued
Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
And the extra-vibrant color chips present tend to make all the others look much more subdued in comparison.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
James Powel, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The thin layer of this paint looked nice and subdued under this dark spot on our porch.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
The response was more subdued when, in the fourth round, the San Francisco 49ers selected Prysock.
—Dan Greene, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
And the extra-vibrant color chips present tend to make all the others look much more subdued in comparison.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
Verb
Aside from the occasional siren and the presence of television crews along the sidewalk, the atmosphere was subdued and traffic around the hospital continued to move steadily.
—James Powel, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The thin layer of this paint looked nice and subdued under this dark spot on our porch.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
His trademark cool was sidelined by a more demonstrative style, closer to the theatrical sensibilities of 2Pac than the muted menace that once defined him.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
-
Breeding siblings The first step was to find a common bean plant with a muted In11 receptor.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
DeGette has defeated primary challengers before, but this time her opponents have lined up long endorsement rosters.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
McKendree University defeated Cal State San Marcos 4-3 Sunday to eliminate the Cougars and advance to the best-of-three series to determine the NCAA Division II softball champions.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
On the other hand, nonbiological chemistry is more limited and dominated by molecules that form randomly.—
Gideon Yoffe,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
This step suppressed hydrogen bonding between water molecules, prevented freezing, and preserved its flexibility.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
His puck-moving play was completely suppressed in the offensive zone, too.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
When a court issues a domestic violence protective order, federal law prohibits the restrained person from possessing a gun.—
Sativa Banks,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
-
Though America’s founders, of course, did not always live up to these ideals themselves, this early reform shows us that American justice was meant to be resolute, principled, and restrained.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
End-of-grade assessments are meant to measure if students have mastered the grade-appropriate content laid out in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
Rather than hiring dozens of new staffers to helm these properties, the media companies are trying to find areas of expertise already mastered by current employees.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The inventor of the Basque cheesecake, a dessert that has conquered the world, will retire next year, leaving behind a legacy that has reshaped menus globally.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
-
Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger conquered DWTS season 10 with Derek Hough, and she's been unstoppable ever since.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
But that has not quelled the far-right’s violence.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Observers of prediction markets widely agree that insider trading worries on the platforms have to be quelled to gain institutional attention.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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