Synonyms of repress

repress

verb

ri-ˈpres 

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

• suppress
• quell
• subdue
• quash
• stifle
• crush
• squelch
• silence
• destroy
• overcome
• sit on
• extinguish
• crack down (on)
• squash
• snuff (out)
• put down
• clamp down (on)
• slap down
• throttle
• quench
• demolish
• strangle
• obliterate
• smother
• exterminate
• douse
• ruin
• annihilate
• subjugate
• decimate
• dominate
• put out
• wipe out
• desolate
• conquer
• smash
• wreck
• vanquish
• overwhelm
• devastate
• waste
• overpower
• nuke
• rub out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• help
• assist
• aid
• support
• back
• provoke
• stir
• promote
• encourage
• abet
• incite
• cultivate
• prop up
• forward
• foment
• foster
• instigate
• advance
• nurture
• further
• whip (up)
• nourish

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stifle
• suppress
• swallow
• smother
• contain
• strangle
• control
• choke (back)
• manage
• hold back
• submerge
• quash
• quell
• govern
• sink
• pocket
• curb
• check
• squelch
• muffle
• bridle
• bottle up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• express
• release
• take out
• unleash
• vent
• loose

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of repress

The competition is adjudicated in the basal ganglia, structures deep inside the brain that repress all the plans except one. — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Jeffrey Jarquín, 35, was taken directly from the deportation flight to Nicaragua’s notorious Modelo prison, where he had been held previously for participating in pro-democracy marches that were violently repressed by President Daniel Ortega. — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Gordon is determined to surface elements of self that society seeks to repress. — Chanel Miller, Time, 30 Sep. 2026

The government accountability group then stepped in seeking to preserve the public’s right to challenge any motion to repress or expunge the report. — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026