pacify
/ˈpæsəfaɪ/verb
To make a person, place, or situation calm and peaceful again after conflict or upset.
Example sentences
- “He offered the crying toddler a toy to pacify her.”
- “Police tried to pacify the angry crowd outside the stadium.”
Parents pacify babies, hence the American 'pacifier'; in military use, 'pacifying' a region is often a euphemism for subduing it.