1
as in relaxing
tending to calm the emotions and relieve stress
a pacifying treat of milk and cookies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appeasing
tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility
the referee adopted a pacifying tone to try to calm everyone down
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in comforting
to lessen the anger or agitation of
the only thing that would pacify the child and end the tantrum was a new toy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in subduing
to bring under one's control by force of arms
additional ground forces were needed to occupy those areas that had already been pacified
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pacifying
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
That transformed the industry by giving it a clear American base — and by pacifying agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission that had been, under Biden, openly hostile.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Rather than unifying and pacifying a populace, this kind of media encouraged idiosyncratic, extreme views.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 8 Sep. 2025
And without the pacifying force of the Dalai Lama, there will be fewer guardrails to prevent Sino-Tibetan disputes from sliding into intractable ethnic conflict.
—Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pacifying
Adjective
-
Golfers can play a round at the renowned Torrey Pines golf course, and for those looking for a more relaxing experience, a hike through Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve offers incredible coastal views in the last surviving home of the namesake tree in the continental United States.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
25 Oct. 2025
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One of the most relaxing parts of the day is burrowing under your blankets before drifting off to sleep.—
Rylee Johnston,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nevertheless, Ed still idolized Augusta and would grow to become obsessed with appeasing her, according to Biography.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
So far, efforts at appeasing the MAGA outrage machine have only backfired.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Giants won in all kinds of encouraging ways while subduing the wild-card-leading Cubs in a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The two also showed a demonstration of what a K9 takedown looks like, with Humphries acting as a target and K9 Bob subduing him.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Everyday Dal The warming, soothing and downright healing effects of dal are well known throughout South Asia and its diaspora.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The formula itself is quite gentle—hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin B5, and the label’s prebiotic thermal water come together for a versatile serum apt at hydrating, soothing, and strengthening the skin barrier.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Inaba and Hough offered each other conciliatory smiles before the remaining judges carried on with their comments.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Here, women played a conciliatory role.—
Time,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And when was conquering ever a good thing?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
These terrorists are going about on a jihad and conquering territories and renaming them accordingly.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lucido's office said Martin also has a habitual offender, fourth-offense notice, subjecting him to life in prison if he is convicted of any of the primary felony charges, according to a release.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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By implementing rigorous controls and subjecting them to human scrutiny, companies can guide this powerful technology toward valuable outcomes while mitigating risk factors.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Expansive windows ensure that the space is filled with light for a calming, contemporary, and inviting effect.—
Gabriela Ulloa,
Architectural Digest,
25 Oct. 2025
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In what was almost a flawless tournament, Delgado was the calming, anchoring presence at the heart of it all.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pacifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pacifying. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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