1
as in to depress
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to overwhelm
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a film about a man who is haunted and oppressed by the secrets of his past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppress
For 47 years, Iranians have been subject to a regime that seeks to divide them, isolate them, oppress them, torture them and dispose of them.
—
Talla Mountjoy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Jesse Jackson was an ambassador of hope for the oppressed, who met with kings and queens and presidents and dictators and clergy of all the great religions.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The authoritarian regime has brutally oppressed the people of Iran for generations.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
The Iranian regime has oppressed, humiliated, and murdered its people.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Talla Mountjoy, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Jesse Jackson was an ambassador of hope for the oppressed, who met with kings and queens and presidents and dictators and clergy of all the great religions.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The authoritarian regime has brutally oppressed the people of Iran for generations.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
The Iranian regime has oppressed, humiliated, and murdered its people.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppress
Verb
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If Ramaswamy is the nominee, his supporters worry less that Republicans will switch sides and vote for a Democrat than about the factors that could depress conservative turnout.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Aside from the exclusivity, part of the appeal also comes from great marketing and the personalities of the sad boys themselves, who embrace the image of the lonely pint, eaten as a pick-me-up during depressing moments in life.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An abundance of candidates can overwhelm users and reduce the odds that an interaction turns into something meaningful.—
Charlotte Morabito,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
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LeClair explains that power surges damage appliances and electronic devices by overwhelming their internal electrical components with more voltage than they are designed to handle.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If these safeguards advance, why is the emphasis not on reforming underlying financing practices—including deferred interest and retroactive interest models—rather than further burdening providers who are attempting to offer patients a lawful payment pathway when traditional coverage fails them?—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
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The proposal would burden doctors with giving parents a highly detailed consent statement to be prepared by boards of medicine and osteopathic medicine, and forbid health authorities to order vaccinations during outbreaks of familiar or new deadly diseases.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Experts feared that Asian economies — which imported 90% of the oil traversing through the Strait of Hormuz before the war — could be devastated by a prolonged disruption to Gulf crude production.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Other school committee members like Keegan are devastated by the current state of the budget.—
Kristina Rex,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Najib was in that position in 2011 when teenagers who scrawled antigovernment graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Towns tortured the Hawks, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists, marking the first triple-double of his playoff career.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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How Disney’s founder, namesake, and first CEO overcame the crisis of his day may give D’Amaro a blueprint for his.—
Roland Betancourt,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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But even more inspiring was their determination to overcome enormous losses and difficulties to try to make new lives for themselves.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The airline is in close contact with the family and offering all available support, adding it was deeply saddened by the death of a team member, per the outlets.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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We are saddened by this tragic news and wish to extend our condolences to this person's family and friends.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Pharisees were the most devout members of ancient Israeli society, and their real agenda was not to trouble Jesus, but to protest against and challenge Rome.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The i7 models see bigger increases, but the $106,200 starting price for the i7 50 xDrive and $126,250 starting price for the i7 60 xDrive (again, with destination) probably won’t trouble the target audience.—
Stephen Edelstein,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppress. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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