as in restraint
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
psychologists talking about the repression of anger and how it affects one's health
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repression
The war with Ukraine is the unifying factor for the society, and all the attendant repression is basically to minimize antiwar sentiment, and, interestingly enough, to minimize unfettered pro-war sentiment, too.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Human rights groups, citing concerns over forced confessions, have condemned a wave of hundreds of arrests and warned that the government is using the June conflict as a pretext to escalate repression.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Dissident Iranian cinema body IIFMA says the arrangement is misguided given the Islamic Republic regime’s censorship and repression of filmmakers in Iran.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
But the line between self-protection and self-repression is thin.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025
Human rights groups, citing concerns over forced confessions, have condemned a wave of hundreds of arrests and warned that the government is using the June conflict as a pretext to escalate repression.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
Dissident Iranian cinema body IIFMA says the arrangement is misguided given the Islamic Republic regime’s censorship and repression of filmmakers in Iran.
—Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
But the line between self-protection and self-repression is thin.
—Franklin Schneider, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for repression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repression
Noun
-
The reports obtained by The Post show a barrage of complaints from youth that staff used excessive force during restraints or other physical management responses at the state’s 14 facilities.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
-
But Trump in his second term has discarded any remaining shreds of conservative restraint (small government?—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Advertisement The Manning brothers' presence as executive producers ensured Chad Powers wasn't just a comedy about rebuilding but a football story rooted in preparation and discipline, down to the accuracy of Powell’s shotgun snaps.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The discipline followed the coaches' backing of Reeve and their vocal criticisms of officials.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even so, State Department officials have been holding meetings and pushing Security Council members to support a resolution on the new gang suppression force, despite concerns about where the money to pay for it will come from.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The regime has been accused of discrimination, human rights abuses, and suppression of dissenters, which has led to hundreds of thousands of Iranians fleeing since 1979.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Maintaining the correct proportion of excitation to inhibition is critical for keeping the brain healthy and harmonious.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Sep. 2025
-
This also supports the idea that swearing can momentarily activate mental states that reduce inhibition and allow the body and mind to perform at a higher level.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Repression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repression. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share