as in restraint
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
psychologists talking about the repression of anger and how it affects one's health
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 repression
Winner of both an Oscar for Best International Feature Film and a Golden Globe for Best Actress (won by Fernanda Torres), this drama based on the memoirs of Marcelo Rubens Paiva directed by Walter Salles serves as a testament to a family’s quiet resilience amidst political repression.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
In some sense, the past 30 years of Iran’s history—its repressions and rebellions, its suffocations and flickers of hope—can be understood as the continuous conflict between these two realms: the visible one of ordinary life, and the invisible one of revolutionary power.
—Kian Tajbakhsh, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
Mac's deeply closeted, Catholic-guilty homosexuality had been treated as a joke throughout the show's run, with the joke never truly being about Mac being gay, but about how his desperate repression had twisted him into a caricature of grasping masculinity.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
The costs of academic repression, in other words, are not confined to elite institutions—they are borne by everyone.
—Matt Motta, Scientific American, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
In some sense, the past 30 years of Iran’s history—its repressions and rebellions, its suffocations and flickers of hope—can be understood as the continuous conflict between these two realms: the visible one of ordinary life, and the invisible one of revolutionary power.
—Kian Tajbakhsh, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
Mac's deeply closeted, Catholic-guilty homosexuality had been treated as a joke throughout the show's run, with the joke never truly being about Mac being gay, but about how his desperate repression had twisted him into a caricature of grasping masculinity.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
The costs of academic repression, in other words, are not confined to elite institutions—they are borne by everyone.
—Matt Motta, Scientific American, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repression
Noun
-
In the second photo, the animals are freed of their restraints — one of the pets is crawling about the bin while the other stays in its shell.—
Colson Thayer,
People.com,
24 July 2025
-
Unlike the Washington consensus, which mandated fiscal austerity and economic restraint, Silicon Valley’s calls for unprecedented investment and acceleration.—
Arafat Kabir,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
CIOs and CTOs bring structure, governance and enterprise-scale discipline to AI adoption.—
Sumit Johar,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
The new lawsuit highlights how many of the MSP internal controversies over promotions, hiring, and discipline have racial undertones.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
The fire suppression efforts involve 15 engines, eight water tenders, one helicopter, two dozers and six hand crews.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
28 July 2025
-
Our founders showed us how to fight tyranny and suppression of speech.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 July 2025
Noun
-
Before the month comes to a close, Mercury will station retrograde in Leo, activating your 12th house of secrets, surrender and your subconscious, bringing up old memories or inhibitions that have been clouding your clarity.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
Reservations and inhibitions have a way of slipping away in the Snake Pit.—
Shari Rudavsky,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repression. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share