tyrannize
verb
tyr·an·nize
ˈtir-ə-ˌnīz 
tyrannized; tyrannizing
: to exercise arbitrary oppressive power or severity
some ways the living tyrannize over the dying—
Thomas Powers
Thomas Powers
: to treat tyrannically : oppress
a regime that tyrannizes its citizens
tyrannizer
noun
Examples of tyrannize in a Sentence
a government that tyrannizes its own people
Recent Examples on the Web
Saddam Hussein tyrannized Iraq for 12 years after his troops were routed in Kuwait in 1991.
—Daniel Treisman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2022
The mechanics of Shakespeare’s plot — unfolding first in rigid, tyrannized Sicilia and then in pastoral, sunnier Bohemia — hinge on our rooting for the characters Leontes so cruelly censures.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
In the process, these majority ethnic coalitions tyrannize and marginalize other groups, particularly those that are not members of the coalition.
—John Mukum Mbaku, Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2021
In Portsmouth, Virginia, cops have been systematically using their state power to tyrannize political enemies.
—Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 28 Aug. 2020
In such societies, counters Madison, a majority will tyrannize the minority.
—Corey Robin, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2020
Daniel Treisman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2022
The mechanics of Shakespeare’s plot — unfolding first in rigid, tyrannized Sicilia and then in pastoral, sunnier Bohemia — hinge on our rooting for the characters Leontes so cruelly censures.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
In the process, these majority ethnic coalitions tyrannize and marginalize other groups, particularly those that are not members of the coalition.
—John Mukum Mbaku, Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2021
In Portsmouth, Virginia, cops have been systematically using their state power to tyrannize political enemies.
—Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 28 Aug. 2020
In such societies, counters Madison, a majority will tyrannize the minority.
—Corey Robin, The New York Review of Books, 13 Apr. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tyrannize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tyrannize
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyrannize. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tyrannize
verb
tyr·an·nize
ˈtir-ə-ˌnīz
tyrannized; tyrannizing
: to act like a tyrant
tyrannizer
noun
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