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 But the soul of the Scorpion was not easily vanquished, proving the axiom that driving a slow car fast is better than driving a fast car slow. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025 Identical twins Hal and Bill (both Theo James) have been cursed by the mysterious monkey toy since childhood; their father tried to vanquish it to no avail. —Barry Levitt, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025 Dietary change is not going to vanquish cancer on its own, Fendt says. —Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025 The win puts Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game for the second time in five seasons and sets up a matchup next weekend with the Kansas City Chiefs — a nemesis that quarterback Josh Allen and coach Sean McDermott have yet to vanquish in the playoffs. —Tim Graham, The Athletic, 19 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
  • 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
Definition of conquer
Verb
  • Officers used a taser on the man to try to subdue him, according to Cleverdon.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 May 2025
  • One of the investigators fired non-lethal beanbag rounds at the man to try to subdue him, but Hampson fled.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • Rihanna’s ability to dominate the pop arena without compromising her Barbadian hertiage certainly served as a breakthrough for Caribbean artists.
    — Ime Ekpo, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
  • Moreover, Rocket has a relatively new CEO who wants to dominate the mortgage industry and is not afraid of technology, previously working at Intuit, PayPal, Groupon and Microsoft.
    — Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 24 May 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • Use of the funds to pay for unapproved expenses would subject accountholders to penalties.
    — Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 22 May 2025
  • And that order clearly violates the separation of powers, subjecting a presidential advisory body to intrusive discovery and threatening the confidentiality and candor of its advice, putatively to address a legal question that never should have necessitated discovery in this case at all.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025
Definition of subject
Verb
  • Su-hun represents everything Mun-oh aspires to be, serving as both inspiration and source of secret envy that has left Mun-oh feeling perpetually defeated.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 May 2025
  • Florida is 48-15 on the season and defeated its conference foe, Georgia, in the Super Regional.
    — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Skubal overcame a Tommy John procedure in college and a flexor tendon surgery earlier in his big-league career to become one of baseball’s elite pitchers.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Learning how to overcome your own anxiety is the first step to helping your kids do the same, said Robbins.
    — Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

vanity
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 Jun. 2025.

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