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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of oppressing
Having been raised not too far from similarly-minded environs, this Turkish critic knows that keeping a pure and noble familial slate in patriarchy often means oppressing women.
—
Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 May 2026
Israel has been grievously oppressing people in its area who are not Jewish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Underlying such obvious acts of aggression lies an insidious tendency for transnational repression to flow from despots into democracies, oppressing lawyers of all nationalities in the process.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
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
Tomris Laffly, Variety, 20 May 2026
Israel has been grievously oppressing people in its area who are not Jewish.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026
Underlying such obvious acts of aggression lies an insidious tendency for transnational repression to flow from despots into democracies, oppressing lawyers of all nationalities in the process.
—Irwin Cotler, Time, 8 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressing
Verb
-
Bobby Atkinson, 37, is accused of threatening to kill his wife during a morning altercation at their Louisville home before allegedly torturing her dogs, Brooklyn and Seven, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, WAVE and WKRC.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
25 May 2026
-
Others believe that extraterrestrials are imparting divine wisdom, or are simply torturing us, like a child pulling the legs off an insect.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In 1993, a storm with baseball-size hail wiped out the local wheat harvest, depressing incomes and leaving the town too poor to remove damaged buildings.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
-
Each is separately spring-loaded, depressing four millimeters at most (though they can be actuated with as little as two millimeters of travel) before bouncing back with a confirming click.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
This allows longer cask time without overwhelming the spirit with oak.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Now the Knicks are overwhelming a Cavaliers team that looks completely overmatched by the moment.—
Kristian Winfield,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Attainable housing can be built in new communities, without burdening existing cities or unincorporated villages.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Captiva Though the recovery isn’t totally complete, Captiva is bouncing back from both 2022’s devastating Hurricane Ian and the rough 2024 hurricane season.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
So what is troubling the Mariners?—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
My mother’s rheumatism was troubling her, and Betsy stayed home to keep her company.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Chasing Hokies reliever Madden Clement with no outs in the ninth, Mulivai Levu began the three-run rally at Jackie Robinson Stadium by crushing his 18th homer of the season to right.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
31 May 2026
-
India’s capitalist economy is booming, and the ruling Hindu-nationalist government is crushing its above-ground leftist opponents at the ballot box.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressing. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
