as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control
the subduing of the wild horse was accomplished by a method reputedly used by Plains Indians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in noninflammatory
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in unemotional
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in defeating
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 conquering
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 quelling
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subduing
Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2016
City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Trump thought the Secret Service did an excellent job subduing the gunman but the White House is reviewing security for major events for the country's 250th anniversary.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The defense was more than satisfactory in subduing the league’s top offense.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Mario himself is played mostly straight by Pratt, subduing the exaggerated Italian accent from the games, while retaining the underdog aspect of a blue collar guy burdened with greater purpose.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
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
The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Empowered but often improperly trained Israelis fearful of any Palestinian-looking individual, ended up killing, instead of subduing, attackers, which further inflamed tensions.
—Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2016
Verb
Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Trump thought the Secret Service did an excellent job subduing the gunman but the White House is reviewing security for major events for the country's 250th anniversary.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
The defense was more than satisfactory in subduing the league’s top offense.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026
Mario himself is played mostly straight by Pratt, subduing the exaggerated Italian accent from the games, while retaining the underdog aspect of a blue collar guy burdened with greater purpose.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026
There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Multiple officers were involved in subduing Guity and placing him in handcuffs, police said.
—Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
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
The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subduing
Noun
-
According to Alessandro Usielli, head of Ford global brand entertainment, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Ford have all worked with the Bond franchise to introduce new models by providing cars for the superspy, his coterie of comely conquests and his villainous adversaries.—
Brett Berk,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
-
Kilkenny Castle Originally built in the 12th century, soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, Kilkenny Castle is located on the banks of the River Nore in County Kilkenny.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mineral formulas also tend to be fragrance-free, noncomedogenic, and noninflammatory, says Dr. Engelman.—
Brigitt Earley,
Glamour,
21 Feb. 2024
-
Burgum, 67 years old and known for a casual style and noninflammatory rhetoric, was never a significant presence in the race.—
John McCormick,
WSJ,
5 Dec. 2023
Adjective
-
Wearing a navy blue suit with an American flag pinned on the lapel, a low-energy Weinstein appeared unemotional as White delivered her opening remarks.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
High performers are taught to be objective, efficient, and unemotional.—
Archana Shrestha,
Time,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Spurs clinched their spot in the championship round after outlasting Oklahoma City, defeating the defending champs on the Thunder’s home floor in Game 7 on Saturday.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
1 June 2026
-
Two weeks later, Barr walked away with the GOP nomination, defeating the other major Republican competitor, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, by a 2-to-1 margin.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Perfect for conquering your next trail, the Speedgoat 6 is made with aggressive lugs that deliver a ton of traction and stability—they’re actually inspired by the hoof of a goat.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
-
That Mitch Marner, the Golden Knight, would morph into a playoff-conquering superstar.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
And then there’s a man falling from a building, smoke bombs, and an army quelling protesters.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2026
-
After Congress passed a law lifting restrictions on the army’s role in quelling civil unrest late Tuesday, Paz now has the constitutional authority to invoke this power.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Gore scattered two more hits en route to his fourth win of the year — and second dominating performance against the Royals.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2026
-
The recent run of success has been led by a dominating pitching staff, especially the bullpen, with an erratic offense only starting to come alive of late.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subduing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subduing. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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