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
On an oppressively hot Friday in July, plumes of smoke curl up from Arnolds Field.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressively
Adverb
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Hilleary, at the campaign event, also harshly criticized Biden’s immigration policies and his administration’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Always use gentle, soft tools like an old toothbrush to scrub away grime in tough corners or nooks, but avoid scrubbing harshly.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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But with Burrow now looking likely to miss the majority of the regular season, those chances look severely diminished.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
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This stagnation can severely impact marketability and career growth when the labor market eventually improves.—
Kara Dennison,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Across automotive assembly lines and steel plants, unscheduled stoppages are brutally costly.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
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Summers in Capitol Reef can be brutally hot for hiking, but the weather is perfect in autumn for hitting the trails (though bear in mind that its high elevation makes climbing more difficult).—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppressively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressively. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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