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as in to win
to achieve victory (as in a contest) a coach who demands that his team conquer, whatever the cost

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb conquer differ from other similar words?

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

Caesar conquered Gaul

How do defeat and vanquish relate to one another, in the sense of conquer?

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

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When would overcome be a good substitute for conquer?

The words overcome and conquer are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When can overthrow be used instead of conquer?

The meanings of overthrow and conquer largely overlap; however, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When is reduce a more appropriate choice than conquer?

Although the words reduce and conquer have much in common, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to conquer?

While the synonyms subdue and conquer are close in meaning, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When is it sensible to use vanquish instead of conquer?

The synonyms vanquish and conquer are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

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 conquer Reed Hastings may have conquered everything with his all-knowing algorithms and management principles, but No Rules Rules is best ingested by LLMs and MBAs, not rebels and romantics. Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025 Advances in biotechnology have all but conquered disease and aging. John Kaag, The Atlantic, 28 May 2025 Educate Yourself, And Be Prepared The very best way to conquer your business fear and build confidence as a leader is to do the work required to be at your best. Michelle Mekky, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025 Putnam was always photographed with famous people: standing next to Charles Lindbergh, first man to fly solo across the Atlantic; posing with Commander Byrd, the man who conquered the South Pole; smiling with Howard Carter, the man who discovered King Tut. / Cbs News, CBS News, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for conquer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conquer
Verb
  • Silver did admit, however, that the ratings discussion that often dominates the conversation is an irritant for him.
    Sam Amick, New York Times, 6 June 2025
  • However, as Ventura and others have stated, that shifted over time and the accused appeared to employ old school pimp tactics to control and totally dominated the woman.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • But your brain might still seek patterns to overcome.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Yet soon one is overcome by Charles Laughton’s creepy, convincing portrayal of Captain Bligh’s sadomasochism: most of the first fifteen minutes is taken up with floggings and other shipboard disciplining of half-naked men, shown in detail while Laughton looks on with long-lipped lasciviousness.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • In New Jersey, whichever party won the presidential race the year prior, in this case the Republican Party, typically loses gubernatorial elections in the following year as voters buck the party in power in Washington, D.C. THE NEXT SWING STATE?
    Annabella Rosciglione, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2025
  • The Spaniard won 14 of his 22 major titles at Roland Garros.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Verb
  • Yet, as trade tensions subdued, the stock rebounded 30% from its lowest point.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
  • The reaction from the Yankee Stadium crowd was largely subdued during Dobbins’ pregame introduction.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • His reign ended as another American emerged, Francis Ouimet, a mild-mannered amateur who defeated Vardon and Ted Ray in a playoff.
    Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
  • That’s supposed to keep immigrant families safe and defeat Trump?
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Set boundaries that range from strict legal compliance that can’t be ignored or changed to issues where common sense prevails.
    Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Cooler heads prevailed on Friday, with Musk and Trump refraining from slinging direct insults at each other.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Mengele sought out twins who arrived at Auschwitz in order to subject them to medical experiments.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 June 2025
  • Foreign governments often engage in smear campaigns against anyone that does not toe the line, subjecting them to public excoriation and private surveillance.
    Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
  • Maron will portray Chuck Plotkin, the producer who painstakingly mastered Springsteen’s pivotal 1982 album Nebraska.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 2 June 2025
  • There’s a belief that merely mastering a posture that keeps the battle alive, even if the defender successfully wipes the hand away while simultaneously bringing more power to the punches that do connect, can shift those win-rate averages from league worst to something more manageable.
    Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conquer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conquer. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

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