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 The 35-year-old McIlroy is looking to not only win his first major since 2014, but also vanquish both his past demons at Augusta -- where he's finished T5 or better four times, including a second-place finish in 2022 -- and DeChambeau. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025 Image That the graphic tee is becoming a politician’s tool also shows how X posts and TikTok clips have thoroughly vanquished TV interviews as the medium through which many voters soak up political images and news. —Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025 Listen to this article MIAMI — Observations and other notes of interest from Monday night’s 105-102 loss to the Charlotte Hornets: – And now cannot even vanquish a 15-49 opponent. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2025 With her enemy vanquished, Snow White is left to rule over her fair Kingdom in peace. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 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
  • 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
  • One of the suspects had to be subdued with a stun gun.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
  • Investment spending picked up around 2016 but hit a wall with Covid, and has been subdued since.
    — William Dunkelberg, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Definition of subdue
Verb
  • However, as Ventura and others have stated, that shifted over time and the accused appeared to employ old school pimp tactics to control and totally dominated the woman.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 June 2025
  • Silver did admit, however, that the ratings discussion that often dominates the conversation is an irritant for him.
    — Sam Amick, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • Foreign governments often engage in smear campaigns against anyone that does not toe the line, subjecting them to public excoriation and private surveillance.
    — Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Mengele sought out twins who arrived at Auschwitz in order to subject them to medical experiments.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 6 June 2025
Definition of subject
Verb
  • And while Maresca’s position as head coach isn’t greatly consolidated by winning the least of them, defeat to Betis would have hurt him.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • 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
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • 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
  • The odds remain against them — only 16.1% of teams have overcome a 3-2 deficit in NBA playoff history — but the Knicks are coming off their best all-around performance of the series.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
Definition of overcome

Browse Nearby Words

vanity
vanquish
vanquished
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vanquish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanquish. Accessed 10 Jun. 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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Some Data About 'Datum'

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
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 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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All