subdue
Other forms: subdued; subduing; subdues
To subdue is to hold back, put down, or defeat. A Doberman can be subdued with a bone, but subduing a yapping toy poodle can be a mail carrier's greatest daily challenge.
You can use the verb subdue in ways ranging from subtle to very forceful. If someone is angry, you might subdue him with kind words that overcome his anger. If someone is coming at you with a giant karate chop, you may be able to subdue her with a secret weapon — a knee-snap–heel-kick-floor-drop. Sub-, as in submarine means "below" and subdue means to bring low — to keep down literally or to calm down emotionally.
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put down by force or intimidation
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put down by force or authority
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synonyms:
conquer, curb, inhibit, stamp down, suppress
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types:
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blink, blink away, wink
force to go away by blinking
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dampen, stifle
smother or suppress
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choke back, choke down, choke off
suppress
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hush, hush up, quieten, shut up, silence, still
cause to be quiet or not talk
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burke
get rid of, silence, or suppress
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silence
keep from expression, for example by threats or pressure
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quell, quench, squelch
suppress or crush completely
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muffle, repress, smother, stifle, strangle
conceal or hide
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shush
silence (someone) by uttering 'shush!'
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choke, suffocate
suppress the development, creativity, or imagination of
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calm down, lull
become quiet or less intensive
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shout down
silence or overwhelm by shouting
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gag, muzzle
prevent from speaking out
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hold within limits and control
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correct by punishment or discipline
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get on top of; deal with successfully
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make subordinate, dependent, or subservient
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synonyms:
subordinate
/səbˈdu/
/səbˈdu/
Vocabulary lists containing subdue
When war destroys their life in Syria, Nuri Ibrahim tries to hold onto hope that he and his grieving wife will survive the dangerous journey to a new home.
In this nonfiction story of America, the authors recount the struggles of key African Americans in the country's march towards the equality and justice promised by the Constitution.
In Kaleria, Nigeria, twelve-year-old Nnamdi is on a mission to avenge his father's death with the help of his best friend and newly acquired supernatural powers.
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