as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the dictatorship had scarcely been overthrown when the formerly oppressed suddenly abandoned their democratic ideals and became the oppressors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oppressor
Civil War, or an oppressor who wants to kill you.
—
Mariam Khan, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
In the piece, the Vicar of Christ is felled not by his oppressors but rather by a random cosmic event.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
During the confrontation, Hussein and his followers were massacred, but the imam’s quest for justice became a defining value of Shiite identity, fostering a sense of revolutionary duty to fight oppressors at any cost.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
That would overlook how quickly Israel’s allies can turn into tomorrow’s religious oppressors.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Israel’s message behind the assassination campaign is clear — the Islamic regime is beyond salvaging, and Iranians need to take to the streets to help oust their oppressors themselves.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
Because Jews are often seen as white, wealthy and well connected, they can get placed on the oppressor side of that line.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The first phase of US occupation was launched in the belief that the Iraqi people would rise up and reject their oppressors.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Mariam Khan, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
In the piece, the Vicar of Christ is felled not by his oppressors but rather by a random cosmic event.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
During the confrontation, Hussein and his followers were massacred, but the imam’s quest for justice became a defining value of Shiite identity, fostering a sense of revolutionary duty to fight oppressors at any cost.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
For Iran, what counts is resistance, against arrogant and wicked oppressors, chiefly the United States and Israel.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
That would overlook how quickly Israel’s allies can turn into tomorrow’s religious oppressors.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Israel’s message behind the assassination campaign is clear — the Islamic regime is beyond salvaging, and Iranians need to take to the streets to help oust their oppressors themselves.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 19 Mar. 2026
Because Jews are often seen as white, wealthy and well connected, they can get placed on the oppressor side of that line.
—Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The first phase of US occupation was launched in the belief that the Iraqi people would rise up and reject their oppressors.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressor
Noun
-
The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The cold indifference of history buried that grandiose tyrant in the oblivion of the desert — a haunting reminder that even the most grandiose of leaders are but fleeting shadows in the long arc of history.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Now, is that the same as a soldier betting on the capture of a vicious dictator?—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Now some people, or maybe just One People, might chuckle at that, thinking dictator Kim Jong Un’s FAILING Ryugyong hotel makes the One People’s library a shoo-in for Best in Show Vainglorious Architecture Awards.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressor. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
