subduing 1 of 3

noun

as in conquest
the act or process of bringing someone or something under one's control the subduing of the wild horse was accomplished by a method reputedly used by Plains Indians

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subduing

2 of 3

adjective

1
as in noninflammatory

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2
as in unemotional

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subduing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of subdue
1
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers

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2
as in conquering
to bring under one's control by force of arms subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows

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3
as in quelling
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

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 subduing
Adjective
Empowered but often improperly trained Israelis fearful of any Palestinian-looking individual, ended up killing, instead of subduing, attackers, which further inflamed tensions. — Barak Mendelsohn, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2016
Verb
The drones rip through the hallways scanning for a threat before disorienting a suspect using flashing lights and subduing them using pepper balls or by ramming into their body, the company says. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 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 Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path. — Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026 Officers then shot her with a Taser, subduing her enough to take her into custody, police said. — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 Trump thought the Secret Service did an excellent job subduing the gunman but the White House is reviewing security for major events for the country's 250th anniversary. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026 The defense was more than satisfactory in subduing the league’s top offense. — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026 Mario himself is played mostly straight by Pratt, subduing the exaggerated Italian accent from the games, while retaining the underdog aspect of a blue collar guy burdened with greater purpose. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2026 There, the pioneers—practical, inventive, restless, exuberant white men—clashed with Indigenous peoples, subduing them and a wilderness filled with wild animals and abundant natural resources. — Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subduing
  1. conquest
  2. noninflammatory
  3. unemotional
  4. defeating
  5. conquering
  6. quelling
  7. dominating
  8. unimpressive
Noun
  • Thus the oceanic feeling might be the royal road to establishing a museum of affiliations, rather than the old colonialist museum of conquests.
    — George Baker, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The internationally recognized Israel, with the borders that preceded its 1967 conquests?
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of conquest
Adjective
  • Burgum, 67 years old and known for a casual style and noninflammatory rhetoric, was never a significant presence in the race.
    — John McCormick, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023
  • What a terrific revelation and opportunity to share the findings with the siblings in a noninflammatory light.
    — Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 5 May 2023
Definition of noninflammatory
Adjective
  • Pragmatic and unemotional, Jung views every situation as a problem to be resolved.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
  • However, any moments that would be guaranteed to be grim end up being almost benign, as dead bodies are intact, have strangely unemotional, open-eyed faces, and almost seem like mannequins buried under mud and sand.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of unemotional
Verb
  • DeSoto won the Class 6A Division II state championship last season, defeating Southlake Carroll in the state semifinals.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Boise State started the season 1-1, losing 42-21 to Central Michigan before defeating Portland State 33-22 in a pair of nonconference games.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • After that, conquering parts of the universe would be a triviality.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Several other Carpenter tracks have come close to conquering the roster but missed out by a space or two.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of conquering
Verb
  • The break with Callaway was the first sign that Good Good’s attempts at quelling the crisis were not going well after Clark’s statement on social media Wednesday night.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As Matt Reeves is hard at work in Gotham City, James Gunn is quelling some overeager fans about the timeline of the Batman trilogy.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of quelling
Noun
  • The 29-year-old from Barcelona, Spain, added to yet another dominating year for himself and Chip Ganassi Racing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The market’s focus has shifted rapidly, with gold dominating early in the year before conflict and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz drew attention to oil.
    — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dominating
Adjective
  • The figure — which was dragged down by job losses in February and July — is unimpressive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • By all accounts, Tua Tagovailoa has had an unimpressive first training camp with the Atlanta Falcons.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of unimpressive

Browse Nearby Words

subdues
subduing
subdwarf
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Cite this Entry

“Subduing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subduing. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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