Conquer
Conquer verb - To bring under one's control by force of arms.
Usage example: before his final defeat, Napoléon had managed to conquer much of Europe
Subdue is a synonym for conquer in defeat topic. In some cases you can use "Subdue" instead a verb "Conquer", when it comes to topics like overwhelm, subjugate, win, curb. popular alternative
Subdue
Subdue verb - To achieve a victory over.
Usage example: subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Conquer is a synonym for subdue in defeat topic. You can use "Conquer" instead a verb "Subdue", if it concerns topics such as conflict, overwhelm, subjugate, moderate. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
-
During Odin and Loki's first scene together, Loki points out that his actions in leading armies to subdue and conquer the other realms is Not So Different from Odin (and Bor's) own war-torn history.
Source: Film / Thor: The Dark World -
It's debatable whether Earth Is a Battlefield applies after the first three months of war: during that time the alien Race conquer and subdue most nations apart from the great powers who were mobilised to fight World War II.
Source: Earth Is a Battlefield -
The aliens have come to conquer Earth, but would prefer to negotiate terms rather than subdue our planet by force, which would mean governing a devastated world and its resentful population.
Cite this Source
Subdue and Conquer. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/conquer/subdue
Conquer & Subdue. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/conquer/subdue>.
Subdue or Conquer. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/conquer/subdue.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "conquer" and "subdue" have occurred on timeline