1
as in torturing
to make sad
this gloomy weather is oppressing all of us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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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The coastal Georgia man arrested in 2018 and accused of torturing, killing and burying his two teenage children in the backyard of the family’s mobile home will spend the rest of his life behind bars after reaching a plea deal.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The briefing came days after Tierney secured a guilty plea from another Long Island serial killer, Rex Heuermann, who is expected to be sentenced in June after admitting to torturing and killing eight women.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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More Than One Way to Survive in Business Entrepreneurs have been positioned to accept that overcoming the competition is the only way to succeed in business, but there may be other paths forward.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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The Blackbeard project aims to achieve all this while overcoming the obstacles that have hindered previous attempts at hypersonic weaponry.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At risk of depressing you, nothing.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
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Aside from the exclusivity, part of the appeal also comes from great marketing and the personalities of the sad boys themselves, who embrace the image of the lonely pint, eaten as a pick-me-up during depressing moments in life.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dedicating one corner of the patio to a dense cluster of plants creates a lush focal point without overwhelming the rest of the space.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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Critics are also worried about the building height overwhelming the area.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Accessing federal funds creates the opportunity for safety and modernization without burdening local taxpayers, according to Friedman.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
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There is room for reasonable discussion about how to implement verification without burdening eligible voters.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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House Republicans approved the resolution last month despite conservationists’ warnings that the move would lead to devastating pollution in one of the country’s last remaining wild areas.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
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Two tornadoes ripped through west Michigan on April 14, devastating a family dairy farm in Fenick, releasing hundreds of cows and leaving thousands without power.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My mother’s rheumatism was troubling her, and Betsy stayed home to keep her company.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
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The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That includes physicists at the University of Manchester, who were intrigued by the difference between crushing an empty soda can versus one that is full of liquid.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
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Often, amid the scramble of a breaking story or a crushing deadline, a cool, smiling Chardy would shrug and utter the mantra that came to define him to his Herald colleagues.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressing. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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