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
His policies have been instrumental in dismantling the criminal enterprise that oppresses the Venezuelan people.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppresses
Verb
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Usually a warm El Nino spikes temperatures and its cool La Nina flip side depresses temperatures.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Empirical studies confirm that reliance on large donors depresses participation in time-intensive legislative activities—things such as bill sponsorship, floor debate, and committee work.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For the characters, the love itself overwhelms every other consideration of feeling.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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What overwhelms her isn’t the wedding itself, but the realization that her lifelong role as Lexi’s default person is about to shift.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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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.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Kyiv residents endure long daily blackouts as Russia devastates the power system, leaving tower block dwellers freezing in apartments with no heat or light.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Jan. 2026
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Exacerbating the problem, unpredictable rainfall cycling between drought and floods further devastates the region.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, that really saddens me now.—
Abigail Wise,
Outside,
3 Jan. 2026
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Being stuck in the middle is what saddens the Others.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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In contrast, the ABF crystal, designed and grown by Chinese scientists over more than a decade, overcomes many of these obstacles.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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After a sluggish start, Texas overcomes a 14-point deficit to tie the game before OU's Xzayvier Brown hits a 3-pointer to give his team the halftime lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What troubles C0llins—and many tax practitioners—most is not just the delay, but the way the IRS communicates during it.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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That last hurdle, safely landing a SpaceX Starship HLS (Human Landing System) spacecraft, carrying two astronauts, upright on the moon, particularly troubles Green.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Supporters say securing transportation, getting time off and having to repeat visits unnecessarily burdens low-income women.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The disproportionate health burdens women of color face are not unique to the perimenopause and menopause experience.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppresses. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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