1
as in torturing
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overcoming
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 oppressing
In Russia, Cuba, Iran, Belarus, and Uganda, dictatorships have carried on for decades—oppressing and killing their people, attacking their neighbors, and destabilizing their regions.
—
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Now, the Franciscan missionaries oppressing the Native Americans in the painting had arrows piercing their heads and bodies.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Now, the Franciscan missionaries oppressing the Native Americans in the painting had arrows piercing their heads and bodies.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressing
Verb
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Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Applicants must write an essay that reflects a background of overcoming adversity, such as growing up in a low-income setting or losing a parent.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Waring and Woodland are both in the midst of overcoming big obstacles of a different nature.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many companies tie these adjustments to surging oil prices, with the blockage of the key Strait of Hormuz passageway depressing supply.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
-
But that message carries a weird, even depressing undertone.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Robby’s self-contempt and his fears of what the PTMC could become without him are overwhelming his character — and the show too.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
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Any vines that are overwhelming a tree in this fashion need to be removed or drastically pruned.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That faced some controversy from the community who argued the city was erasing their history and burdening them with the cost to change stationery.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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Polling suggests Californians support taxing corporations more to maintain the state’s social programs without burdening individual residents, who already face costs of living higher than most of the country.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Our team found that a hospital cyberattack cut the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest without devastating brain damage by nearly 90% at nearby hospitals, not just the one that was attacked.—
Christian Dameff,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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Israel has stepped up assassinations of top Iranian officials in recent days, in what the Israel Defense Forces said was a push to undermine command and control in Iran after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes that have wiped out military infrastructure but not dislodged the regime.—
Victoria Craw,
Washington Post,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But besides defiant behavior or anger issues, there are other behaviors that indicate that something deeper is troubling your teen.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
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Scientists may have solved a cosmic mystery that has been troubling them since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) began observations back in 2022.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If the Red Sea remains closed, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, then the global economy very quickly, within weeks, goes into recession and brings crushing stagflation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Instead, the Dodgers’ clutch middle-of-the-order threat was able to toy with the Arizona Diamondbacks, crushing a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning to power a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 start to the season.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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