as in muted
not excessively showy
the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms
subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
labored through the night to subdue the river's rising waters by building a wall of sandbags around their property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdued
Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Apple continues to generate chatter for its landmark 1984 commercial that shows an athlete hurling a sledgehammer at propaganda video, waking citizens from a subdued state.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
Chelsea have been through so much change over the last three years that a more subdued window may not be such a bad thing.
—Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 6 Feb. 2025
Apple continues to generate chatter for its landmark 1984 commercial that shows an athlete hurling a sledgehammer at propaganda video, waking citizens from a subdued state.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
The wreaths range from classic and subdued to colorful and illuminated, and they can be used year after year thanks to their faux-yet-realistic-looking materials.
—Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
So far, this release is having a more muted impact: Shares for Nvidia dropped by 0.6% Tuesday, while other stocks like Broadcom (1.6%) declined slightly.—
Sarah Whitmire,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
-
In the House, Republicans have largely been more muted.—
Deirdre Walsh,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The score was not the only statistic that was dominated by one team over another.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Texas also dominated on the ground with 292 rushing yards, while Clemson managed only 76.—
Giovanni Malloy,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Dinner at Bavel, watching Liverpool play, quiet reading.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The Atlanta Braves had a quiet winter that has been followed by a busy spring training.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Things happened—or didn’t happen—depending on who had the ear of the president at any moment and who had mastered the dark arts of bureaucratic warfare.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Dec. 2024
-
And Valverde has mastered this facet of the game, with five of his six goals this season coming from shots from outside the penalty area — the most by any player in Europe’s top five domestic leagues.—
Mario Cortegana,
The Athletic,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Scarlett Johansson has conquered the superhero franchise, been nominated for several prestigious awards and years ago made her way into Saturday Night Live’s prestigious Five-Timers Club.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Jan. 2025
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By contrast, Xinjiang was conquered in the mid-18th century by the Qing dynasty (around the same time the British were marching on India) and then claimed by the current People’s Republic of China after its formation in 1949.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
From there, though, the Magic closed within 90-80 late in the third period with a 12-0 run that was quelled by a Pelle Larsson three-point play.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
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But the speculation in space, nuclear, mobility, and quantum names must be quelled to get a real ending to this.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
This production, which was more on the restrained side, was directed by Jose Maria Condemi.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Mar. 2025
-
The Honduran government has asked the U.S. to release the restrained deportees once the planes enter Honduran airspace, Paz said.—
Ronny Rojas,
NBC News,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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