vanquish

verb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Inflation surged ahead to start 2025, crimping Americans' buying power and serving as a warning to policymakers — whether those contemplating new tariffs or further interest rate cuts — that price pressures are not yet vanquished. —Courtenay Brown, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025 The ceasefire is immensely popular among Americans, and there is little reason to believe that Israel has discovered the secret formula to finally vanquish Hamas and free the hostages. —Jon Hoffman, TIME, 1 Feb. 2025 Well, inflation hasn't been vanquished from the economic menu, so value meals have become a mainstay. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025 Democrats must find their Reagan now — a candidate whose utility isn’t just to temporarily sideline Trump but vanquish him and his would-be successors for good. —S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vanquish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vanquish
  1. conquer
  2. subdue
  3. dominate
  4. subject
  5. defeat
  6. overcome
Verb
  • As a first-time founder-CEO running a fast-growing SaaS startup, Morgan had conquered his fair share of challenges at high speeds.
    — Alla Adam, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • There is no saving the world, no genocidal maniac trying to conquer new realms.
    — Rafael Motamayor, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of conquer
Verb
  • He was subdued after an officer fired a beanbag round, striking Hermanson and allowing police to arrest him.
    — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Canada’s democracy has frayed and strained in the years since, but always held—Quebec’s independence movement was subdued by real concessions from the rest of the provinces, for instance.
    — Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • The Yankees dominated Saturday against the Houston Astros, winning 9-3.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Honestly, Nevermind dominated in 2022 with 204,000 units.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • Throughout her childhood, Dee Dee subjected her Gypsy-Rose to years of painful medical procedures that were not needed.
    — Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Book said the Homeless Trust has been pursuing the partnerships to increase bed capacity and ensure compliance with a new state law that subjects local governments to lawsuits for letting people sleep on the streets.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of subject
Verb
  • In the bantamweight main event, Song Yadong defeated former two-division champion Henry Cejudo via technical decision after an eye poke left Cejudo unable to continue.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The Cardinals defeated the Washington Nationals in Tuesday's exhibition in Palm Beach, Florida.
    — Chantz Martin, Fox News, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • This Netflix documentary follows three young Brooklyn sisters who join a community track team and, through their dedication to running (and with the support of their team), strive to overcome homelessness, family trauma, and financial struggles.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
  • With all the hurdles Seavey has overcome as an artist, he’s not only been determined to solidify his spot in the industry as a solo artist, but to also make his mark.
    — Kristen Wisneski, Billboard, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

vanquish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vanquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanquish. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on vanquish

Nglish: Translation of vanquish for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
girl-pencil-test
Challenging Standardized Test Words Quiz Vol. 3 You’re on your own for the math section.
See All