All words

subdue

Meaning

To bring under control or dominion by force or authority; to conquer or repress.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

The guards tried to subdue the angry crowd, their shouts echoing in the tense air. They pushed and shoved, their authority meant to force the people back into line. But the unrest only grew, the crowd refusing to be subdued.

The king's guards finally managed to subdue the angry mob. Their shouts turned to whines as they were forced back, their rebellious spirit crushed by the sheer weight of the royal authority. The streets, once a chaotic scene, were quiet again.

The relentless tide surged, threatening to flood the tiny village. Fear gripped the elders as they watched their homes teeter. But the strong ones, with ropes and sheer will, stood firm, determined to subdue the water's fury and protect their families from its destructive power.

The tiny kitten, a fluffball of pure mischief, tried its best to subdue the giant, sleepy dog with playful pounces. The dog, however, just wagged its tail, unbothered. The kitten’s valiant efforts to conquer the canine were met with slobbery affection, a delightful defeat.

Barnaby the badger, a creature of pure fluff and mischief, found his grand plans to hoard all the garden gnomes quite challenging. He tried his fiercest growls and most intimidating wiggles, but the painted fellows refused to obey. Finally, with a mighty leap and a surprisingly gentle nudge, Barnaby managed to subdue the gnome army, stacking them neatly by the compost bin.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The king's guards, with grim faces, marched into the square. Their orders were clear: subdue the rioters, their anger a dangerous fire. The crowd, a roaring wave, had to be brought under control, their defiance silenced by overwhelming force and authority.

The drill sergeant's voice boomed, a raw force meant to subdue the raw fear of the new recruits. He would break them down, reshape them, until their independent wills bent to his command. Only then would they be ready.

The sheer power of the storm threatened to overwhelm the small coastal village. Fishermen, their faces grim, worked frantically to secure their boats, their strength and determination a desperate effort to subdue the rising waves before they could claim everything they’d built.

The toddler, a tiny dictator with a relentless hunger for crackers, was finally forced to subdue his reign of terror. After a dramatic standoff involving spilled juice and strategic sock-throwing, his parents managed to conquer his cookie-craving dominion with a surprisingly effective lullaby.

Bartholomew, a surprisingly tenacious garden gnome, launched his full assault on the rogue dandelion. He brandished a miniature trowel, determined to subdue the weed before it could spread its sunny tyranny across his meticulously manicured petunias. This tiny titan wouldn't rest until order was restored.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

The captain knew he had to subdue the mutiny quickly, or the entire voyage would collapse. He stormed the quarterdeck, his unwavering gaze fixed on the ringleaders, intending to quell their rebellion before it spread further.

The elder, his face etched with worry, knew he had to subdue the growing unrest among the settlement's newest arrivals. Their wild ideas threatened the fragile peace they had painstakingly established. He would impose his will, making them understand their place and the necessity of their compliance.

The inspector stared at the agitated crowd, their shouts growing louder. He knew he had to subdue their rising panic before it escalated into chaos, his stern gaze and firm voice the only tools he possessed against the burgeoning unrest.

The notoriously grumpy badger, Reginald, refused to subdue his penchant for hoarding shiny objects. Even when the squirrels offered a bountiful acorn harvest, he merely chuffed, intent on conquering every stray bottle cap and discarded button in the forest, much to the exasperation of the entire woodland community.

The ambitious troupe of synchronized kazoo players attempted to subdue the boisterous flock of pigeons that had commandeered the town square's fountain. Their dulcet, yet persistent, tooting was meant to impress a visiting dignitary, but the feathered fiends seemed intent on their own peculiar, aquatic ballet, stubbornly refusing to yield their damp domain.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

The rebels' initial fervor to subdue the oppressive regime was met with brutal force. Despite their valiant efforts and the palpable despair that settled upon the land, the authorities, with overwhelming power, ultimately managed to subdue any further dissent, crushing the nascent uprising under their iron fist.

The rebel faction, though numerous, lacked the discipline to subdue the entrenched garrison. Their frenzied assaults, fueled by desperate courage, were ultimately quashed by the disciplined volleys and tactical maneuvers of the legionaries who firmly controlled the battlefield.

The insurgent faction, despite their initial ferocity, found their efforts to subdue the fortified observatory futile. The garrison's meticulous preparations and unflinching resolve effectively repressed their attempts at ingress, ensuring dominion remained with the established authorities.

The pugnacious squirrel, a veritable tempest of fur and fury, seemed intent on initiating an acrimonious insurrection in the park. However, the seasoned groundskeeper, with a sagacious flick of his broom, managed to subdue the tiny, belligerent creature, reestablishing a precarious, albeit temporary, tranquility.

The intrepid explorer, armed with naught but a formidable butter knife and sheer gumption, attempted to subdue the rampaging fluffernutter. This colossal confectionery behemoth, exhibiting a truly audacious effervescence, seemed intent on engulfing the entire cantina. With a valiant, albeit sticky, lunge, the explorer aimed to impose order.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

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