ENSLAVE Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

enslave

verb

Definition of enslave

as in to annihilate

to take control of and assert authority over

—usually used as (be) enslaved Her ancestors were enslaved during the war.

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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 enslave The brutality and inhumanity that white Americans inflicted on free and enslaved Black people drove them out. — Karen Masterson, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026 There, our ancestors and those of your African-American cousins and family were enslaved. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 Historians began to construct a rich and sobering narrative of the lives of both enslavers and enslaved, as well as a portrait of the system that bound them together. — Drew Gilpin Faust, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 Keanu Reeves stars as hacker Neo, who discovers that humanity’s been enslaved by a malevolent cyber-intelligence and joins up with badass rebels Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to fight back. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for enslave

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enslave

Verb

Hell, Ella Langley has been annihilating the Billboard charts lately.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Atlanta roughed up the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau, then annihilated the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.

— Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of annihilate

Verb

Integrating the interceptor into existing launch infrastructure could reduce the need for extensive equipment changes.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
People can donate clean costumes and pick a new one, reducing waste and the resources and emissions required to make new ones.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reduce

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

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

For Putin, these were not goodwill gestures but measures of self-preservation designed to advance his broader aim of subjugating Ukraine.

— Eric Ciaramella, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
The ruling was widely seen by progressives as subjugating the role of the individual in the election process to that of the corporation.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of subjugate

Verb

Occupying a particularly picturesque and secluded stretch of headland, where Aleppo pines drape rocky coves and the cerulean Mediterranean waves lick the similarly shaded horizon, the resort is the hospitality group’s first foray into the Balearics.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
Some wagged their tails as people approached, licked their hands and even liked to be petted.

— Alida de Flamingh, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of lick

Verb

Protests last week devolved into mayhem, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police.

— ELITSA GADEVA, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
Rioters last weekend smashed their way into stores, targeting sneakers, athletic wear and sporting goods on streets that run off the city’s central Duomo square.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of smash

Verb

Fire crews scrambled late Saturday as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area.

— Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Fire crews scrambled late into the night as fierce winds whipped flames beyond Canadian Forces Base Wainwright and into the surrounding rural area.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of whip

Browse Nearby Words

enskying

enslave

enslaved

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Enslave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enslave. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of enslave

verb

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