subdue
verb
transitive verb
Synonyms
- beat
- best
- conquer
- defeat
- dispatch
- do down [British]
- get
- get around
- lick
- master
- overbear
- overcome
- overmatch
- prevail (over)
- skunk
- stop
- surmount
- take
- trim
- triumph (over)
- upend
- win (against)
- worst
Example Sentences
Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 18 Aug. 2022 Officers ultimately had to deploy a taser to subdue him. Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 16 Aug. 2022 The man was uncooperative and a Taser was used to subdue him. cleveland, 10 Aug. 2022 During a civil rights jury trial in US District Court, Williams and Burgio were found liable for violating Cox’s rights by using excessive force to subdue him, and for their indifference to Cox’s medical needs. Ivy Scott, BostonGlobe.com, 13 July 2022 On horseback, Pickett would chase a steer, leap onto it and wrangle it to the ground—sometimes biting the animal’s lip and nose to subdue it. Chris La Tray, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 Officers later took the man into custody, possibly after using a stun-gun device to subdue him. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2022 Bobby DiCello, lawyer for Walker's family, told The New York Times that eight officers fired more than 90 times after attempting to subdue him with stun guns. Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 3 July 2022 Chang then slammed a chair into the gunman, pushing him to the floor and allowing other congregants to subdue him, Barnes said. Byjulia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 May 2022 See More Word History
Middle English sodewen, subduen, from Anglo-French soduire, subdure to lead astray, overcome, arrest (influenced in form and meaning by Latin subdere to subject), from Latin subducere to withdraw, remove stealthily
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
subdue
verb
subdue
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- overcome
- defeat
- master
- conquer
- beat
- get
- take
- stop
- dispatch
- surmount
- overbear
- best
- succeed
- overmatch
- lick
- upend
- worst
- overwhelm
- trim
- get around
- skunk
- bury
- do down
- annihilate
- subjugate
- surpass
- sweep
- finish
- get the better of
- crush
- slaughter
- vanquish
- overpower
- prevail (over)
- triumph (over)
- win (against)
- exceed
- knock for a loop
- flatten
- upset
- overthrow
- trounce
- whip
- excel
- score
- clobber
- blow out
- flourish
- bomb
- rout
- drub
- unseat
- blow away
- skin
- outdo
- transcend
- top
- excel
- better
- nose out
- cream
- thrash
- cap
- break
- smoke
- outshine
- snow under
- wallop
- outstrip
- outdistance
- pip
- shellac
- knock over
- wax
- eclipse
- outfight
- edge (out)
- overtop
- knock off
- ace (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lose (to)
- fall
- fail
- give up
- collapse
- fold
- wash out
- flunk
- go under
- go down
- flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
- conquer
- dominate
- subject
- overcome
- defeat
- subjugate
- vanquish
- overpower
- enslave
- pacify
- subordinate
- reduce
- beat
- annihilate
- crush
- quell
- suppress
- smash
- whip
- trounce
- lick
- clobber
- rout
- repress
- quash
- thrash
- smother
- squelch
- drub
- wallop
- silence
- skunk
- squash
- mow (down)
- prevail (over)
- triumph (over)
- put down
- break
- crack down (on)
- snuff (out)
- clamp down (on)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- liberate
- emancipate
- enfranchise
- discharge
- release
- unbind
- free
- manumit
- spring
- unchain
- unfetter
- uncage
Synonyms & Similar Words
- quell
- suppress
- repress
- quash
- overcome
- crush
- destroy
- extinguish
- stifle
- silence
- squelch
- squash
- sit on
- slap down
- subjugate
- demolish
- quench
- annihilate
- obliterate
- conquer
- crack down (on)
- vanquish
- exterminate
- put down
- decimate
- clamp down (on)
- douse
- smother
- overpower
- strangle
- dominate
- overwhelm
- snuff (out)
- throttle
- ruin
- devastate
- wreck
- desolate
- smash
- wipe out
- nuke
- dowse
- put out
- waste
- rub out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- help
- assist
- aid
- provoke
- support
- incite
- back
- stir
- instigate
- abet
- cultivate
- encourage
- promote
- foment
- nourish
- whip (up)
- nurture
- prop up
- foster
- forward
- further
- advance
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of subdue are conquer, defeat, overcome, overthrow, reduce, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," subdue implies a defeating and suppression.
While the synonyms conquer and subdue are close in meaning, conquer implies gaining mastery of.
Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.
The words overcome and subdue are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.
Although the words overthrow and subdue have much in common, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.
While in some cases nearly identical to subdue, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.
The words vanquish and subdue can be used in similar contexts, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.