CONQUER Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'conquer' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of conquer are defeat , overcome , overthrow , reduce , subdue , and vanquish . While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," conquer implies gaining mastery of. // Caesar conquered Gaul

Q: How do 'defeat' and 'vanquish' relate to one another, in the sense of 'conquer'?

Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals. // the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

Q: When would 'overcome' be a good substitute for 'conquer'?

The words overcome and conquer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle. // overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

Q: When can 'overthrow' be used instead of 'conquer'?

The meanings of overthrow and conquer largely overlap; however, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power. // violently overthrew the old regime

Q: When is 'reduce' a more appropriate choice than 'conquer'?

Although the words reduce and conquer have much in common, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender. // the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Q: Where would 'subdue' be a reasonable alternative to 'conquer'?

While the synonyms subdue and conquer are close in meaning, subdue implies a defeating and suppression. // subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

Q: When is it sensible to use 'vanquish' instead of 'conquer'?

The synonyms vanquish and conquer are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering. // vanquished the enemy and ended the war

conquer

verb

ˈkäŋ-kər

Definition of conquer

as in to subdue

to bring under one's control by force of arms before his final defeat, Napoléon had managed to conquer much of Europe

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as in to overcome

to achieve a victory over love conquers all, or so romance novels would have us believe

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to win

to achieve victory (as in a contest) a coach who demands that his team conquer, whatever the cost

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conquer differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of conquer are defeat, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

How do defeat and vanquish relate to one another, in the sense of conquer?

Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When would overcome be a good substitute for conquer?

The words overcome and conquer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When can overthrow be used instead of conquer?

The meanings of overthrow and conquer largely overlap; however, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When is reduce a more appropriate choice than conquer?

Although the words reduce and conquer have much in common, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to conquer?

While the synonyms subdue and conquer are close in meaning, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When is it sensible to use vanquish instead of conquer?

The synonyms vanquish and conquer are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of conquer Marsh argued conquering the global market means knowing differences between international markets. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026 The effort to free Hubbard comes as Trump pressures Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a deal with Putin by handing over territory that Russia has not been able to conquer, a move that the Ukrainians believe would amount to defeat. — Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026 The country’s industrial machine is set up to commoditize products through overwhelming economies of scale, to bring down prices, and conquer global markets — regardless of financial return. — semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 From Ricky Martin’s Grammy breakthrough to the rise of música mexicana, Tommy Mottola and Alex Gallardo offered a candid look at how Latin music conquered the mainstream — and why its next evolution will depend on artists willing to break the mold. — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conquer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for conquer

Verb

Having asserted their power, voters proved difficult to subdue again.

— Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Police said officers used a less-lethal weapon to subdue Sims and take him into custody.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of subdue

Verb

Experts who are part of consultations expect the new policy to lay down clear and consistent rules, which will also help the industry overcome challenges around land acquisition and simplify a fragmented approval process.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.

— Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcome

Verb

But Ben-Gvir and his allies hope to win enough seats to force Netanyahu to accommodate their demands or risk losing power.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Election Day nears The stakes are high as the race Marshall was supposed to win handily is now neck-and-neck, according to recent polling.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of win

Verb

Vucic dominated Serbian politics since becoming president of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, in 2012, then becoming prime minister in 2014, then switching over to president in 2017.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Club name Meta Platforms , as well as SpaceX and Anthropic, are dominating the headlines on Monday with plans to raise their share of the shrinking capital pie for the next legs of their AI ambitions.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominate

Verb

This was the sixth year in a row that the Yankees failed to defeat a higher-seeded playoff opponent.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026
Although supporters say the fear that billionaires will flee the state are overblown, the ultrawealthy have made moves to potentially avoid paying the tax or are funding campaigns to defeat it.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeat

Verb

And if Raman prevails over Bass, that mayor will be someone who didn’t even want the Olympics here in the first place.

— Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Dupuy-Spencer had a reputation for clear-eyed renderings of both the tenderness and the brutality of our world; here, darker forces prevail.

— Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of prevail

Verb

The predominant method entails producers sealing off the vents, which causes temperatures to rise and slowly subject the birds to death via heatstroke.

— Kenny Torrella, Vox, 20 Oct. 2026
The company then needs to incorporate that hardware into a complete Neutron first stage, and then subject that stage to a battery of tests.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of subject

Verb

Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
Complicating things is the current Administration, which has mastered the art of using those message-delivery systems to spread doubt and discontent and suspicion.

— Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of master

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connubiality

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Style

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conquer. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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