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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of repress
Don’t repress your thoughts, but don’t react just to prove a point either.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has been accused of repressing the Nicaraguan people — especially Catholic and LGBTQ citizens.
—Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
Even before the war began, hardship and inflation provoked nationwide protests that were brutally repressed.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has been accused of repressing the Nicaraguan people — especially Catholic and LGBTQ citizens.
—Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repress
Verb
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The program is a half-day, in-depth course to educate attendees on the principles used by firefighters in suppressing wildland fire and protecting structures in the Wildland Urban Interface, said workshop organizers.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 June 2026
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Rather than suppress his value, that could make Clarke and agent Randy Robitaille more inclined to hunker down in negotiations.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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But rights groups have criticized the term as it may be discretionarily applied to a broad swath of activities and could be used to stifle freedoms.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 June 2026
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Micromanagement stifles creativity, motivation, and productivity.—
Maria Ross,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Johns founded the university's voice center in 2017 in order to help people experiencing issues with their voices, swallowing or airways and improve their quality of life.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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What makes that pill even harder to swallow is that archrival Florida State went on to play in the BCS National Championship despite the loss to the Hurricanes in October.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Verb
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To even entertain a reality that absurd would require a faith in the American Dream blind enough to subdue the nightmare.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
3 June 2026
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Viewers have already seen glimpses of the premiere, which involves Aang and Katara subduing a sea serpent while guiding refugees across a treacherous path.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repress. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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