ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsSsubdue
ISEE/SSATmedium
subdue
Meaning: to bring under control by force or persuasion
subdue in a sentence
How subdue is used in real sentences:
Firefighters worked for hours to subdue the flames spreading through the warehouse.
Police managed to subdue the escaped animal before it wandered onto the busy highway.
“After another tense discussion, the director subdued the conflict by persuading both sides to accept adjustable lamps.”
— from the passage The Brightness Debate
Synonyms for subdue
Other words for subdue — overpower, suppress and quell — carry the same meaning.
- overpower
- suppress
- quell
Antonyms of subdue
Words that mean the opposite of subdue:
- unleash
- incite
Where it comes from
From Latin subducere 'to lead away, bring under'
Word parts
- sub — under
subdue: sub- (from under) + duc (lead)
Memory hook
SUB-DUE — you bring something below so it becomes due to obey.