as in harshly
in a manner so as to cause loss or suffering
forced to live under an oppressively cruel government
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Recent Examples of oppressively
The first of the four chapters is an oppressively gray-toned, narratively diffuse spy thriller, set amid the mists of what appears to be the Second World War.
—
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
The second planet from the sun has a completely inhospitable surface, with temperatures reaching 863 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and a crushing pressure underneath an oppressively thick atmosphere.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressively
Adverb
-
But the Bar still intends to ask the court to punish Uhlfelder much more harshly.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
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That proposal had been praised by some neighborhood leaders who often oppose high-rise housing in or near single-family areas, but it was harshly criticized by leaders of the development and business community.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The images appear to show that several buildings in the compound were severely damaged by strikes.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Grenell’s announcement of the closure, scheduled to take place this year, followed a series of news reports about withdrawals from the center by cultural institutions or individual artists that left its calendar for 2026 severely underpopulated.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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For those who have long wished to see the brutally repressive regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gone, there is hope.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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The authoritarian regime has brutally oppressed the people of Iran for generations.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressively. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
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