placate ˈplā-ˌkāt , ˈpla- verb
: cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of
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The word placate has appeared in 101 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 26 in “Helping an Estranged Family Reconnect” by Lori Gottlieb:
Forgiveness is a tricky thing, in the way that apologies can be. Are you apologizing because it makes you feel better or because it will make the other person feel better? Are you sorry for what you’ve done or are you trying to placate the other person who believes you should be sorry for the thing you feel completely justified in having done? Who is the apology for?
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