Synonyms for conquer

verb

1. To gain control over

   surmount, prevail over, capture, overcome; see succeed 1, win 1.

2. To defeat

   subdue, overcome, vanquish; see defeat 2.

conquer implies gaining mastery over someone or something by physical, mental, or moral force to conquer bad habits; vanquish implies a thorough overpowering or frustrating, often in a single conflict or battle a vanquished army; to defeat is to win a victory over or get the better of, often only for the time being the defeated troops rallied and counterattacked; overcome implies the overpowering of an antagonist or the surmounting of difficulties; to subdue is to defeat so as to break the spirit of resistance; to subjugate is to bring under complete subjection; overthrow implies a victory in which a prevailing power is dislodged by force; to rout is to defeat so overwhelmingly that the enemy is put to disorderly flight