as in harsh
formal + disapproving
unnecessarily strict or severe
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease. draconian punishments
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Recent Examples of draconian
The federal Fifth Circuit appeals court agreed with Louisiana and imposed draconian new restrictions on Friday.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Comments can be revealing, especially in societies that are closed and authoritarian in nature where media access to public information is limited by draconian laws and freedom of expression curtailed.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
However, invoking these deaths as justification for more draconian state intervention is misguided and dangerous.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The draconian rule of law under Pinochet also thwarted the young director’s cinematic ambitions.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026
Comments can be revealing, especially in societies that are closed and authoritarian in nature where media access to public information is limited by draconian laws and freedom of expression curtailed.
—Shepherd Mpofu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
However, invoking these deaths as justification for more draconian state intervention is misguided and dangerous.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
The draconian rule of law under Pinochet also thwarted the young director’s cinematic ambitions.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
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Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Nichols, 64, was sentenced to death for the brutal beating and rape of 20-year-old Karen Pulley.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Dec. 2025
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Bianchi and the others were marched up the peninsula to POW camps in the north under brutal conditions in a 65-mile trek infamously known as the Bataan Death March.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Serenity Maggie’s (and Sweet Magnolias‘) trip to New York was cut short as Season 5 offered a juxtaposition between small-town values and ruthless big-city corporate culture.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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Ruffalo will voice Nero, a scrappy black cat, and Fishburne will play Rocco, a ruthless cat mob boss.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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But amid all the oppressive government’s inculcation in the name of plummeting birthrates, girls will be girls.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
But nothing would have prepared him for this — the death of a beloved first-team player, and in such arbitrary, cruel circumstances.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
6 July 2025
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They were joined by actors playing the contestants, who lurched along wearing expressions of exaggerated horror, as though the cruel stakes of the game had just been revealed to them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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