1
as in to overcome
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to dominate
to bring under one's control by force of arms
subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to quell
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdue
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
Forced to battle from a distance, firefighters filtered and drafted floodwater to subdue the flames.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Unlike recent Mark Twain ceremonies, which have felt sprawling, theatrical, and emotional, Maher's night was surprisingly subdued.
—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdue
Mariella Rudi,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
Forced to battle from a distance, firefighters filtered and drafted floodwater to subdue the flames.
—
Kansas City Public Library Staff,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.
—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2026
Unlike recent Mark Twain ceremonies, which have felt sprawling, theatrical, and emotional, Maher's night was surprisingly subdued.
—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subdue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdue
Verb
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The rookie point guard overcame early shooting struggles to lead all scorers with 25 points.
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The telecommunications giant’s fight to end landline service is playing out in the FCC and federal court, amid an underlying battle over how much power the agency has to overcome decisions by states.
Verb
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The stock-specific approach contrasts with expectations that the surge in Korean and Taiwanese stock markets, dominated by local chip giants, would spill over into China more broadly.
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Mexico dominated much of the match, yet England overcame playing most of the second half a man down after a red card.
Verb
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The security adjustments aren’t expected to quell Mexico’s World Cup fever.
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The people ended up burning down the house of one of the tax collectors, prompting President George Washington to raise the first federal army against them and quickly quell the revolt.
Verb
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Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 in a penalty-kick shootout Friday after the teams played to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes in Arlington, Texas.
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The short version is that after defeating the Kilrathi at the climax of Wing Commander 3, Mark Hamill’s Christopher Blair retires to a backwater world to live out a life in peace and obscurity.
Verb
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The Romans conquered this region more than two millennia ago.
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Game plan for the title fight Gaethje has also conquered the art of performing as an underdog.
Verb
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Record-setting heat is suspected in 25 deaths from the Deep South to the Midwest to the East Coast, authorities said, with the temperature highs also suppressing some Fourth of July celebrations.
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When coated onto a polypropylene separator with graphene, the material formed a thin interfacial layer that readily absorbed electrolyte while suppressing polysulfide migration.
Verb
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There’s a fleet of school supplies to amass, multiple schedules to master, and a lot of stress—both for my kiddos and on my end.
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Faculty across the country increasingly report spending more time teaching skills that many students once mastered before arriving on campus.
Verb
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This particular issue has to do with Washington state provisions that allow shelters to refuse to notify parents when minors are seeking gender-affirming care if the shelters conclude that the parents might subject the child to abuse or neglect.
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Other states are subjecting their wealthiest residents to new income taxes, rather than taxing assets.
Cite this Entry
“Subdue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdue. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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