PACIFIES Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

pacifies

verb

present tense third-person singular of pacify

as in appeases

to lessen the anger or agitation of the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy

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as in subdues

to bring under one's control by force of arms additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified

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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 pacifies With their help, Spain pacifies China, which becomes the jewel in the Spanish imperial crown and a strategic platform for further conquest. — Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025 Her younger sister, meanwhile, pacifies their father with silence. — Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifies

Verb

This way of handling stress occurs when someone acts calm, appeases the threatening person and retreats to de-escalate the situation.

— Michele Patterson Ford, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2026
The city’s first street food market appeases the vast spectrum of palates and preferences, from vegans' to meat-lovers', by featuring ten culinary traders who specialize in ethnic fare from Greece to the bayous of Louisiana.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of appeases

Verb

In person, Huang subdues his ironic braggadocio with polite eye contact and rolling belly laughs at his own jokes.

— Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
El Nino also subdues the hurricane season in the Atlantic because there is so much heat in the Pacific that outcompetes the Atlantic, Berardelli added.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026

Definition of subdues

Verb

Having started to doubt the nature of the relationship between Holmes and Evans, Fielder subjects it to extraordinary scrutiny, at which point the tables turn.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
In a finding absent from the 2025 chapter, the State Department cites an outside report saying the Cuban government subjects some political prisoners to unlawful prison labor.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of subjects

Verb

In the final race of his career, 3-year-old Man O War defeats 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race, the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
This eventually defeats Other Mommy, leaving the happy family of three intact — even though there’s subtext that Bela will always have a little discomfort around her mother.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeats

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pacifiers

pacifies

pacifism

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“Pacifies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifies. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pacifies

verb

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