Appease

Etymology

From Old French "apaisier" (to bring to peace), from "a-" (to) and "pais" (peace), from Latin "pax." Neutral for centuries, the word acquired a permanent shadow from 1930s "appeasement" — the failed policy of yielding to Hitler — so to appease now often implies a weak or dangerous surrender.

verb · /uh-PEEZ/
To pacify or placate someone, often by giving in to their demands.
What it names
Peace bought by concession — a move that can defuse a conflict or merely postpone and enlarge it.
Example
They appeased the toddler with a cookie and guaranteed the same tantrum tomorrow.
Related idea
To appease is to yield to demands to keep the peace; to mollify is simply to soothe someone’s anger, which can be done with words alone and no concession at all.