to pacify

Examples

• All

• American policymakers have tried to pacify the Caribbean through actions such as intervention in Haiti.

  Academic text (2001)

• In the end, however, the operation didn't pacify the resistance.

  Academic text (2006)

• My orders were to pacify the city.

  Ben-Hur (2016)

• Our task is to pacify the country.

  What Price Hollywood? (1932)

• It's those leaders who want to pacify the masses.

• But before we can do that... we need to pacify the hostiles.

  Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

• Certain combined measures worked to settle, suppress, and pacify the region during the colonial period.

  Academic text (2011)

• Soon, Afghan and coalition forces had pacified the central Helmand River valley, which bisects the province.

  Academic text (2011)

• The peacekeeping forces worked tirelessly to pacify the region after months of civil unrest.

• In an attempt to pacify the protesters, the government offered to address their concerns in a public forum.

Synonyms

C

to calm

vsto pacify

962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

refers specifically to ending conflict or violence, sometimes using force

M

to make peace

vsto pacify

89 3.4

To stop arguing and become friendly again

ends violence or conflict often by outside intervention or force

A

to appease

vsto pacify

48 5.8

To calm someone by giving in to their demands

brings peace to a place by stopping violence, often through intervention or force

D

to defuse

vsto pacify

29 4.5

Make a tense or dangerous situation calmer

aims to bring peace to a place by ending conflict, sometimes by force

P

to placate

vsto pacify

28 7.0

To make someone less angry by saying or doing something kind

focuses on ending conflict or violence, sometimes using force instead of concessions

A

to assuage

vsto pacify

• Formal

20 7.7

To make a bad feeling, pain, or worry less strong

instead concentrates on stopping violent conflict and restoring peace, possibly by force

D

to disarm

vsto pacify

15 3.9

To calm someone by being kind or friendly

may require ending broader violence through decisive intervention rather than charm

M

to mollify

vsto pacify

8 7.2

To make someone less angry or upset

concerns ending conflict and restoring order, sometimes via forceful means

Q

to quieten

vsto pacify

3 4.6

Make someone or something less noisy and calmer

involves stopping violent conflict to create peace, often via intervention

D

to defuse tension

vsto pacify

2 4.5

To make a situation less tense by calming people

works to stop violence or conflict directly, possibly via intervention

C

to conciliate

vsto pacify

1 7.9

To stop people being angry and make them friendly again

achieves peace sometimes through forceful intervention rather than only agreement

D

to de-escalate

vsto pacify

5.6

To make a conflict or tense situation less dangerous and calmer

seeks to end violence or restore peace, sometimes using force

L

to lenify

vsto pacify

• Archaic

9.9

To make someone feel calmer or less angry

aims to bring peace to an area by ending violence, often through intervention

Antonyms

E

to escalate

220 5.5

To become larger, more serious, or more intense

P

to provoke

144 3.6

Annoy someone again and again to make them react

How Forceful

to conquer

397 3.7

to subdue

37 5.5

to pacify

8 6.3

to intervene

197 5.0

to mediate

32 5.1

to negotiate

• Formal

801 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology