PLACATING Synonyms: 164 Similar and Opposite Words

placating 1 of 2

adjective

as in appeasing

tending to lessen or avoid conflict or hostility a placating comment that seemed to calm everyone down a bit

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

placating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of placate

as in comforting

to lessen the anger or agitation of attempted to placate the screaming child by offering him a cookie

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 placating

Verb

From the theorist’s vantage, the narrator’s couches will always be placating. — Maya Binyam, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026 Scam Buster is a bot that will reply to scammers in your inbox, placating them with the same social engineering tactics that scammers use, such as impersonation, flattery, and urgent messaging. — Kim Key, PC Magazine, 8 Aug. 2026 The note is there when Sugar gets back, placating his suspicions (for now) and deflating his ego. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 July 2026 Putin has struggled to manage fighting Kyiv on the one hand and placating domestic constituencies on the other. — Anna Nemtsova, Time, 23 May 2026 In your opinion, should the shop have handled this differently—perhaps compensating or at least placating me? — Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2026 But there’s no guarantee her successor will have any better success at placating the president. — Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026 Without these questions, our decisions become about placating requests. — Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, Forbes.com, 12 Mar. 2026 The story’s correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused CBS News management of placating the White House, turning the decision into a public relations fiasco for the network. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for placating

Adjective

Leavitt struck a more conciliatory tone with reporters during a farewell press gaggle on Thursday.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
And before Friday’s game, hours before the casino sighting, Lovullo seemed to strike a conciliatory tone.

— Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of conciliatory

Verb

While this might sound appeasing to some, the Big Ten is not onboard with this idea, sources told OutKick-FOX News and others.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Interest—from both visitors and islanders—is gently shifting away from polishing playboy yachts or appeasing the decadent whims of retirees, to something, well, more real.

— Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026

Definition of appeasing

Adjective

Booze, black pepper, and leather accords give the note a sultry, noir bend, while white musks and soft florals transform vanilla into something comforting and cocooning.

— Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
An improbable preparation that somehow manages to be immediately familiar and comforting, this cheeseburger fried rice is a little peek into all the fun going down at Agnes and Sherman in Houston, one of our Best New Restaurants of 2026.

— Nick Wong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of comforting

Adjective

The new movie follows a benevolent ex-pilot named Hig (Jacob Elordi) who, after losing his wife during a catastrophic global pandemic, lives out in the wilderness with his dog, Jasper, and ornery isolationist pal Bangley (Josh Brolin).

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
City leaders agree large, unsupervised gatherings could put kids at risk even if most attendees are there for benevolent reasons.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of benevolent

Adjective

National Aquarium cams The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, operates a series of cameras of marine animals, including reef sharks, jellyfish and fish in a Pacific coral reef.

— Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 1 June 2026
These conditions tend to suppress Atlantic hurricane development, whereas the eastern and central Pacific hurricane seasons are typically more active during strong El Niño events.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 June 2026

Definition of pacific

Adjective

Her biggest concern is that creating an academy modeled after the military service academies would conflate what NASA does—the peaceful, civil exploration of space—with military activities undertaken by the US Space Force.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Indigenous leaders played a prominent role in protests demanding the resignation of Porras and the peaceful transfer of power to Arévalo.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of peaceful

Adjective

From humorous and whimsical to elegant and calming, the choice is yours.

— Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Aug. 2026
The best way to make sure your words have a calming effect is to bend down to your child’s eye level, hold their hands in yours, and take a few deep breaths.

— Francesca Castagnoli, Parents, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of calming

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placates

placating

placative

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“Placating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/placating. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of placating

adjective

verb

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