subdue
verb
sub·due səb-ˈdü 
-ˈdyü
subdued; subduing
transitive verb
1
: to conquer and bring into subjection : vanquish
2
: to bring under control especially by an exertion of the will : curb
subdued my foolish fears
3
: to bring (land) under cultivation
4
: to reduce the intensity or degree of : tone down
subduer noun
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The troops were finally able to subdue the rebel forces after many days of fighting. He was injured while trying to subdue a violent drunk. She struggled to subdue her fears.
Recent Examples on the Web Junior Ronnie Royal III scored three touchdowns and JR Gardner added two as the Dolphins built a big second-half lead and had to hold on in the final two minutes to subdue St. Michael 34-27 at Fairhope Municipal Stadium. 
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
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
Etymology
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
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
subdue
verb
sub·due səb-ˈdü
-ˈdyü
subdued; subduing
1
: to bring under control
He subdued his fears.
Police subdued the angry man.
2
: to overcome in battle
Troops subdued the enemy.
subdues
verb
1
as in overcomes
to achieve a victory over subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- overcomes
- defeats
- conquers
- masters
- beats
- gets
- takes
- stops
- dispatches
- surmounts
- succeeds
- licks
- upends
- overwhelms
- bests
- buries
- trims
- overbears
- skunks
- finishes
- sweeps
- worsts
- does down
- overmatches
- gets around
- surpasses
- annihilates
- slaughters
- overpowers
- flattens
- excels
- vanquishes
- subjugates
- wins (against)
- crushes
- exceeds
- clobbers
- scores
- gets the better of
- thrashes
- knocks for a loop
- upsets
- triumphs (over)
- wallops
- excels
- whips
- flourishes
- routs
- prevails (over)
- transcends
- overthrows
- tops
- trounces
- bombs
- blows out
- outshines
- unseats
- smokes
- breaks
- outdoes
- outstrips
- eclipses
- blows away
- waxes
- skins
- outdistances
- caps
- creams
- noses out
- shellacs
- drubs
- pips
- overtops
- knocks over
- snows under
- knocks off
- betters
- edges (out)
- outfights
- aces (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- loses (to)
- falls
- fails
- collapses
- folds
- flunks
- washes out
- goes down
- flops
- goes under
- gives up
2
as in conquers
to bring under one's control by force of arms subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows Synonyms & Similar Words
- conquers
- dominates
- subjects
- defeats
- overcomes
- overpowers
- vanquishes
- subjugates
- pacifies
- enslaves
- reduces
- subordinates
- annihilates
- beats
- smashes
- crushes
- quells
- suppresses
- clobbers
- thrashes
- whips
- trounces
- wallops
- licks
- routs
- represses
- smothers
- silences
- quashes
- drubs
- squelches
- skunks
- squashes
- mows (down)
- triumphs (over)
- breaks
- prevails (over)
- puts down
- clamps down (on)
- cracks down (on)
- snuffs (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- liberates
- frees
- emancipates
- unbinds
- springs
- discharges
- releases
- enfranchises
- unchains
- manumits
- unfetters
- uncages
3
as in quells
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- quells
- suppresses
- represses
- quashes
- destroys
- silences
- stifles
- crushes
- overcomes
- extinguishes
- squelches
- squashes
- sits on
- demolishes
- slaps down
- smothers
- decimates
- quenches
- conquers
- annihilates
- clamps down (on)
- vanquishes
- strangles
- obliterates
- cracks down (on)
- overpowers
- dominates
- douses
- subjugates
- throttles
- exterminates
- overwhelms
- puts down
- ruins
- smashes
- snuffs (out)
- desolates
- wastes
- devastates
- wrecks
- dowses
- nukes
- wipes out
- puts out
- rubs out
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- helps
- assists
- supports
- aids
- abets
- provokes
- incites
- backs
- stirs
- foments
- instigates
- promotes
- encourages
- fosters
- cultivates
- nourishes
- nurtures
- whips (up)
- advances
- furthers
- props up
- forwards