tranquilize
verb
tran·quil·ize
ˈtraŋ-kwə-ˌlīz 
ˈtran-
variants
or less commonly tranquillize
tranquilized also tranquillized; tranquilizing also tranquillizing
Examples of tranquilize in a Sentence
They tranquilized the bear with a dart so that it could be safely moved to a different area.
at long last the crying baby was tranquilized by the steady rocking of her cradle
Recent Examples on the Web
The animal was tranquilized and was loaded onto a pickup around noon.
—
Tim Fang, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The hearing took place on the same day that a mountain lion was captured and tranquilized in an urban part of San Francisco and just weeks after a wolf killed an aging horse who was a family pet in Lassen County.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
They were joined by San Francisco police and staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Zoo, who helped to tranquilize the animal, officials said.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
His version is a stunning double-shot of absinthe to which is added almost a full glass of Champagne, a nearly undrinkable concoction with enough alcohol to tranquilize a bull.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tranquilize
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Tim Fang, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
The hearing took place on the same day that a mountain lion was captured and tranquilized in an urban part of San Francisco and just weeks after a wolf killed an aging horse who was a family pet in Lassen County.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
They were joined by San Francisco police and staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the San Francisco Zoo, who helped to tranquilize the animal, officials said.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
His version is a stunning double-shot of absinthe to which is added almost a full glass of Champagne, a nearly undrinkable concoction with enough alcohol to tranquilize a bull.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tranquilize
Cite this Entry
“Tranquilize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tranquilize. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tranquilize
verb
tran·quil·ize
variants
also tranquillize
ˈtraŋ-kwə-ˌlīz
ˈtran-
tranquilized also tranquillized; tranquilizing also tranquillizing
: to make or become tranquil or relaxed
especially
: to ease the nervous tension and anxiety of usually by means of drugs
Medical Definition
tranquilize
transitive verb
tran·quil·ize
variants
or chiefly British tranquillize
or tranquillise
tranquilized or chiefly British tranquilized or tranquilised; tranquilizing or chiefly British tranquilizing or tranquilising
: to make tranquil or calm
especially
: to relieve of mental tension and anxiety by means of drugs
tranquilization
noun
or chiefly British tranquillization
or tranquillisation
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