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

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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 The bottom line: In addition to all that, O'Connell proved in 2023 to be an excellent campaigner who vanquished a strong field of candidates across the political spectrum. —Nate Rau, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025 The Padres vanquished the Braves in two quick Wild Card Series games last October and the Dodgers had their way with Atlanta during the season, winning five times in seven meetings. —Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 The Terps needed a banked-in buzzer-beater from Queen, a freshman center and likely NBA lottery pick, just to vanquish No. 12 Colorado State in the second round. —Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025 Benoit Tessier | Reuters AMD’s Lisa Su has already vanquished Intel. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Mar. 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
  • The memory unit sits close to a CPU or GPU, to conquer latency and provide high bandwidth with low power consumption.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Strawberry Lemonade Any cook can conquer these fresh, celebratory recipes.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2025
Definition of conquer
Verb
  • Check out these suggestions, each of which, if multiplied by others, can help subdue climate change: Choose airlines that offer carbon offset programs.
    — Lea Lane, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The end, at 7:35 a.m., Monday was subdued and pain-free.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • While their presence pushes younger competitors to work even harder for wins, bigger racing teams just have elite equipment that can easily allow one car to dominate, the owner explained on the Dale Jr. Download podcast.
    — Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 19 Apr. 2025
  • This proposal, led by organizations such as the American Beverage Licensees (ABL), raises important questions about whether alcohol retailers should be allowed to dominate cannabis sales.
    — Tribune Content Agency, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • But the administration hasn’t yet subjected any other state to Maine-level scrutiny.
    — Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Vietnam’s $123 billion trade surplus with the United States—the second highest in Asia after China and the highest in Southeast Asia—has subjected it to high tariffs.
    — Lynn Kuok, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of subject
Verb
  • In Brazil’s 2023 Presidential election, Lula da Silva defeated Jair Bolsonaro by less than two percentage points.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Both competitors defeated four female opponents each to get to the championship bout.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Trailing 0-2, the Heat now faces a series deficit that not many NBA teams have overcome.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Not without its controversy, like life, the show has tried to demonstrate that family can overcome anything with love, laughter, and conversation.
    — DeVonne Goode, Parents, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

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vanquish
vanquished
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Cite this Entry

“Vanquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanquish. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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