as in oppressed
suffering grave abuse or injustice at the hands of one in authority a war that was supposed to liberate the downtrodden citizens of that nation

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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 downtrodden As for the idea mentioned by Schefter that claims teams are 'already tanking' for the rising sophomore, there are a few downtrodden franchises that would fit that mold. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025 Mets fans, seeking to give their downtrodden $765 million slugger an emotional lift, gave him a rousing standing ovation. Sam Settleman, New York Times, 3 May 2025 The new celebrity owners clearly bought into being ideal stewards of a downtrodden club, and the city of just under 45,000 embraced the unorthodox, reality-show approach to marketing the team. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 In 1978, a few enterprising refugees, including Jao and his neighbor Danh Quach, set up shops along a downtrodden section of Bolsa Avenue dotted with salvage yards, repair shops and farmland. Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for downtrodden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for downtrodden
oppressed
Adjective
  • All of a sudden, the Trump administration is positioning itself as a champion of the rights of oppressed minorities abroad yearning for the liberty and security that can be found only within America’s borders.
    Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 May 2025
  • For the politically oppressed and those in the global south, cryptocurrency isn't about wealth accumulation.
    Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Downtrodden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/downtrodden. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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