SUBJUGATING Synonyms: 71 Similar and Opposite Words

subjugating 1 of 2

noun

as in conquest

the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control a military occupation that was seen by the people of that country as just another subjugating by an outside power

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subjugating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of subjugate

as in conquering

to bring under one's control by force of arms explorers who subjugated the natives in the name of religion

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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 subjugating

Noun

The anti-Zionist project of ending Israel’s existence as a Jewish state implies killing, subjugating, or re-exiling more than half of the world’s Jewish population. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026

Verb

Every administration has its own policy agenda and preferences, but this goes beyond that, subjugating science to partisanship and holding research and infrastructure money hostage throughout much of the country. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 Likewise, meekness once meant not becoming weak, but subjugating power to reason – not letting anger take control. — Timothy J. Pawl, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2026 However, once Hernán Cortés triumphed, the conquistadors went from waging war — vanquishing the Aztecs — to the project of subjugating Indigenous holdouts and building a self-sustaining territory loyal to the crown. — Foreign Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subjugating

Noun

Measuring roughly 224 feet long, the eleventh-century masterwork depicts the events surrounding the Duke of Normandy’s conquest of England.

— News Desk, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Every major era of economic development has been defined by the conquest of a single dominant constraint.

— Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of conquest

Verb

The all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1980s were twice fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw, too.

— Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
In the eighteenth century, while Russia fixated on conquering Eurasia, Britain developed the steam engine; in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while Europeans fought over Africa, Americans mastered the assembly line.

— Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of conquering

Verb

This means the market makers, often called dealers, are the ones that have to play catch-up, adding to volatility instead of subduing it.

— Oliver Renick, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Rome — The death of a Moroccan man in police custody has sparked protests – some violent – in the northern city of Bologna after video of the incident showing officers forcefully subduing the man circulated online.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

Definition of subduing

Noun

This was the Blond Ambition summer on the small screen — a wave of platinum domination entirely unrelated to the release of a new Madonna album.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
For the Muslim-majority regions that had once seen themselves as centers of learning and power, European domination over parts of Asia – including South Asia and Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East – was seen as humiliating.

— Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of domination

Verb

Delta Upsilon was removed from KU’s campus in 2018 after fraternity members were found to have violated the student code by subjecting prospective members to sleep deprivation, physical violence and forced alcohol consumption.

— Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026
On July 7, the Board of Directors approved an ordinance to move forward without subjecting the design work to competitive bids, using the Bezos Earth Fund dollars under the control of chamber officials.

— Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 22 July 2026

Definition of subjecting

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subjugates

subjugating

subjugation

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“Subjugating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subjugating. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of subjugating

noun

verb

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