variants
also tyrannic
1
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
a tyrannical ruler whose terrible reign was marked by unceasing violence
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in domineering
fond of ordering people around
even when he was still a toddler, he tended to be a tyrannical playmate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyrannical
The over-the-top propaganda that leads the game off suggests the Earth Directorate is here to protect colonists from out-of-control corporations and tyrannical governments.
—
Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Set in a small village in southern India, the absurdist comedy follows Ramasamy, a chilli farmer with an uncontrollable sneezing problem who must survive under a tyrannical zamindar who has banned sneezing under penalty of death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
The result is a gripping vérité portrait of citizens under siege by a tyrannical leader stripping away their freedoms.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Shame on you, Mr. LaCava, for supporting the city’s new trash collection fee and for your tyrannical ideology surrounding this issue.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2025
Set in a small village in southern India, the absurdist comedy follows Ramasamy, a chilli farmer with an uncontrollable sneezing problem who must survive under a tyrannical zamindar who has banned sneezing under penalty of death.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
The result is a gripping vérité portrait of citizens under siege by a tyrannical leader stripping away their freedoms.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Shame on you, Mr. LaCava, for supporting the city’s new trash collection fee and for your tyrannical ideology surrounding this issue.
—Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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The oppressive rule has led to nations cutting off aid, leading to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But as Blitzer points out, the Magnificent 7's domineering influence does not mean the S&P 500 is broken.—
Alex Mayyasi,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
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Managers often grow more assertive (sometimes drifting into domineering).—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The developments led Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s socialist and authoritarian leader, to threaten to declare a state of emergency earlier this week.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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The book is a policy handbook meant to address the realities of political life following the turmoil of the French Revolution, presenting a Christian alternative to both the authoritarian secular liberalism and counterrevolutionary movements of the day.—
Indianapolis Star,
IndyStar,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their streets are lined with lush trees and their Victorian homes are like doll houses, painted in pastels and boasting masterful woodwork that draws crowds of admirers.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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As with earlier films such as Fire at Sea and Notturno, Gianfranco Rosi’s latest work is a masterful act of cinematic immersion.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fears are growing among Venezuela’s leadership that the true goal of the US deployment is toppling the autocratic regime of President Nicolás Maduro, though some warn a military intervention could further destabilize the country.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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That same energy appears to be in the streets of Belgrade now, sustained by a new generation of citizens standing firm against the tactic of a different autocratic leader.—
Hanna Begić,
The Conversation,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The emergency has become the rule, transforming exceptional powers into the ordinary machinery of despotic governance.—
Beatriz Magaloni,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Sep. 2025
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This is how legal systems in despotic regimes operate.—
Andrew Binns,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Cuba’s leaders have pursued a slow, narrow and sometimes arbitrary path toward economic privatization – especially when contrasted with other officially communist countries in Asia.—
Joseph J. Gonzalez,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
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The unions have asked the court to declare that both OMB and OPM have exceeded their statutory authority and acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, and to invalidate any actions that may come from the memos and guidance issued.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There is a seeming logic behind Trump’s decision to turn away from democratic states and toward dictatorial ones: a desire to establish three spheres of influence that encompass most of the world.—
Phillips P. O’Brien,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Sep. 2025
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That Trump would explicitly address the dictator issue this week reflects just how head-spinningly fast his dictatorial actions have been coming at us.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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