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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppress
Lopakhin and Varya are pushed together throughout the play, but poor Varya, also born working class, will never be able to break through the part of Lopakhin that still idolizes the very nobility that oppressed his family for generations.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
The trial for Morteza Amiri and Devon Wenger will test the government’s contention that the two men used the power of their badges to intimidate, injure and oppress the people of the city they were supposed to serve.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
And because of hundreds of years of history of people who look like Colin oppressing people who look like Michael, Che can also tell white jokes.
—Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
First, students are primed through exposure to narratives that depict a binary world of oppressors and oppressed.
—Kevin Waldman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
The trial for Morteza Amiri and Devon Wenger will test the government’s contention that the two men used the power of their badges to intimidate, injure and oppress the people of the city they were supposed to serve.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
And because of hundreds of years of history of people who look like Colin oppressing people who look like Michael, Che can also tell white jokes.
—Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 10 Feb. 2025
First, students are primed through exposure to narratives that depict a binary world of oppressors and oppressed.
—Kevin Waldman, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppress
Verb
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And if that is not depressing enough, the EFL will be all over the club’s accounts for next season, so the prospect of transfer embargoes and agreed budgets is very real.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
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That rotation itself depresses stock prices further.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Cruel and unaccountable events pile up, overwhelming any sense of normality.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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The ‘Willy Wonka’ phase A sweet, sugary smell overwhelms the next pod at Goodblend. Gummies in hues of orange, red, yellow, green and blue sit on parchment paper a metal tray.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The state should celebrate the homeschooling community, not burden us with regulations.—
Nicholas Tampio,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2025
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The shuttle got burdened by so many crazy requirements.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Sand, breeze blocks, storm shutters—these are materials of survival and exclusion, shaped by the hurricanes that regularly devastate her homeland.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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The Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions Friday in a big first step toward fulfilling the president’s pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country devastated by civil war.—
Abby Sewell,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Investigators say the group allegedly lured the former business partner back from Italy to access his cryptocurrency account and then kidnapped and tortured him for weeks.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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According to the report, dissidents —including soldiers, opposition activists, human rights defenders, journalists and ordinary citizens— are being arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and subjected to sham trials.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Skubal overcame a Tommy John procedure in college and a flexor tendon surgery earlier in his big-league career to become one of baseball’s elite pitchers.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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The odds remain against them — only 16.1% of teams have overcome a 3-2 deficit in NBA playoff history — but the Knicks are coming off their best all-around performance of the series.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
Verb
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The Indianapolis Colts and NFL world were saddened on May 21, 2025, when team owner Jim Irsay suddenly passed away in his sleep.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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We are deeply saddened by his passing and join the entire Baylor community during this time of mourning.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
28 May 2025
Verb
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At a time when the movie industry is troubled in part due to the high cost of special effects, production companies are motivated to stay on top of advancing tech.—
Ryan Faughnder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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But that’s not the issue here nor what is troubling us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppress. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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