vanquish

verb

ˈvaŋ-kwish How to pronounce vanquish (audio)
Definition of vanquishnext
as in to subdue
to bring under one's control by force of arms vanquished nation after nation in his relentless conquest of Europe

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb vanquish differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of vanquish are conquer, defeat, overcome, overthrow, reduce, and subdue. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

When could conquer be used to replace vanquish?

The words conquer and vanquish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

How are the words defeat and vanquish related?

Defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

Where would overcome be a reasonable alternative to vanquish?

The meanings of overcome and vanquish largely overlap; however, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When is overthrow a more appropriate choice than vanquish?

In some situations, the words overthrow and vanquish are roughly equivalent. However, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When is it sensible to use reduce instead of vanquish?

The words reduce and vanquish can be used in similar contexts, but reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

When might subdue be a better fit than vanquish?

Although the words subdue and vanquish have much in common, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

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 vanquish For him, vanquishing that demon for himself and the franchise is personal. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2025 Hilariously, though, just as the two whip the entire tavern up into an enthusiastic frenzy, someone bursts through the door to declare the war is over and the enemy has been vanquished. —Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 30 May 2025 In 2025, in order to win the day’s news coverage, Trump is flooding the media with an unrelenting tidal wave of news content to dominate and vanquish the zone. —Jennifer Mercieca, The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2025 Becky Lynch finally vanquished her archnemesis Lyra Valkyria at WWE Money in the Bank 2025. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for vanquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vanquish
  1. subdue
  2. conquer
  3. dominate
  4. subject
  5. defeat
  6. overcome
Verb
  • Nimmo’s celebration upon hitting the grand slam was subdued.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • This season blended bold designs, subdued silhouettes and interesting footwear to tell us one thing: menswear is slowly but surely becoming on-par with its female counterpart.
    — Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • Apparently, love can conquer not only death but also slapstick action comedies about little kids brutalizing burglars.
    — Drew Mackie, People.com, 13 July 2025
  • For me, that meant a heavy dose of meditation (including a silk hammock sound bath), a class about conquering fear, an introduction to wheel pottery, and several workout classes, leaving plenty of time for treatments and relaxation at the Life in Balance Spa.
    — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2025
Definition of conquer
Verb
  • Iga Świątek dominated American Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon women’s final, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-0 on Saturday.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 12 July 2025
  • Sure, the former No. 3 pick in the draft should dominate summer league action against players, the majority of which will either end up in the G League or overseas.
    — Kelly Iko, New York Times, 12 July 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • Other top foreign suppliers of appliances to the US, including Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, received letters from Trump subjecting their exports to the US to tariffs as high as 36% instead of the current 10%, as of next month.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 11 July 2025
  • In moving on from Tucker and not subjecting a rookie to a kicking competition with a potential Hall of Famer, the Ravens softened an already volatile situation.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Definition of subject
Verb
  • The Italian became the first man or woman from her country to defeat a top-3 seed at Wimbledon since the Open Era began in 1968.
    — Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Before the Thunder captured the coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy by defeating the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, only two players in league history had previously won league MVP and Finals MVP trophies in the same season.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • There can be ways to overcome the objections of the people who are concerned that new technology will make their jobs obsolete.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
  • But that wasn’t enough to overcome Springer, whose eighth-inning homer against Luke Weaver served as the dagger.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 4 July 2025
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

vanity
vanquish
vanquished
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Cite this Entry

“Vanquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanquish. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of vanquish for Spanish Speakers

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