as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the dictatorship had scarcely been overthrown when the formerly oppressed suddenly abandoned their democratic ideals and became the oppressors
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressor
Noun
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Throughout Russian history, Ivan the Terrible – who among his other crimes murdered his eldest son and had the head of Russian Orthodox Church strangled for dissent – was remembered as a repulsive tyrant.—
Dina Khapaeva,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2025 -
The sixth emperor of the famed Mughal dynasty, he is considered by many detractors to be a tyrant who brutalized women, razed Hindu temples, forced religious conversions and waged wars against Hindu and Sikh rulers.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Even Matyas Rakosi, Hungary's most brutal communist dictator, refused to move his office here, but Orban wants to play king, so the national gallery will eventually need to be moved out of the castle to make way for him.—
Rob Schmitz,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2025
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The drawdown also comes after the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime in December.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
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“Oppressor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressor. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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