1
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
you can't repress your feelings forever, so tell her how you feel about her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repress
The agency was founded in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin and employed by mining companies in West Virginia and Colorado to repress strikes.
—
Robert Forrant, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
The Trident and the Times/Herald made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.
—Lawrence Mower, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Robert Forrant, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
The Trident and the Times/Herald made public records requests seeking any motions to repress the report.
—Lawrence Mower, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repress
Verb
-
Dramatic currents, once suppressed, here bloom unashamed.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
That stifles competition at home and, with China’s dependence on global consumption, raises concerns about dumping and deflation abroad.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
Embarrassed in the first period, stifled in the second, the Avs did something that almost never happens in this town with this team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Later in the video, Rogers used a fire extinguisher to quell some of the flames on the exterior of the door.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
This effort to include everyone did not quell protests.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
People who have trouble swallowing or who have scarring, inflammation, or narrowing of the esophagus (stricture) should not eat dry chia seeds and should talk with a healthcare provider before eating even soaked chia seeds.—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
16 May 2026
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Then Doris and her family are sent off on the train, swallowed whole by the Holocaust.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Sentiment has remained subdued ever since.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
-
The atmosphere at the Palace game was strangely subdued, to begin with, lacking the edge or jeopardy that would usually be associated at this stage of the season.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repress. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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