1
as in depresses
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overwhelms
to subject to incapacitating emotional or mental stress
a film about a man who is haunted and oppressed by the secrets of his past
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppresses
It is governed by a brutal regime that oppresses its people and is an enemy to the United States.
—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
His policies have been instrumental in dismantling the criminal enterprise that oppresses the Venezuelan people.
—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
White supremacy oppresses all of humanity.
—
Monifa Dayo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Oct. 2020
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
His policies have been instrumental in dismantling the criminal enterprise that oppresses the Venezuelan people.
—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
White supremacy oppresses all of humanity.
—
Monifa Dayo,
San Francisco Chronicle,
5 Oct. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppresses
Verb
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Nevertheless, something might occur at work that depresses you.
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The risk is that China inspires its trading partners to resort to a protectionism that depresses prosperity for everyone.
Verb
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Money earned from chip sales abroad quickly flows out to buy stocks like Nvidia, creating persistent downward pressure on the won that overwhelms export gains.
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Bold pink, yellow, and blue tile typically overwhelms a bathroom, dictates its overall color scheme, and limits decor choices.
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.
Verb
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So when the dog is lost in a severe storm that devastates the region and leaves many homeless, an overwhelmed Rose must balance the urgency of her search mission alongside the misfortune of others close to her.
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Withholding effective treatment for chronic disease devastates lives and drives up healthcare costs.
Verb
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However, that really saddens me now.
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Being stuck in the middle is what saddens the Others.
Verb
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And a strangeness suddenly overcomes me.
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These families show that love overcomes differences.
Verb
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But what really troubles him is something larger.
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There’s something that troubles her about this.
Verb
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The legal scholars watching this expect the eventual fights to turn on old questions, whether a state law unduly burdens interstate commerce, whether federal rules quietly override it.
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The renter’s credit is part of a larger but stalled push to rebalance Connecticut’s upside-down tax system, one the state’s own analysts conclude excessively burdens the poor and middle class.
Cite this Entry
“Oppresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppresses. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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