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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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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Recent Examples of tyrannical
Accompanied by her on-screen sidekick, who was also a guest at the Italian fashion house's show, Meryl Streep was dressed like a fashion icon, immediately reminding us of the film's glamorous, if tyrannical, editor-in-chief.
—
Marthe Mabille, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2025
The citizens of Venezuela don't deserve to live under the tyrannical rule of Maduro or any of his henchmen!
—Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Marthe Mabille, Glamour, 27 Sep. 2025
The citizens of Venezuela don't deserve to live under the tyrannical rule of Maduro or any of his henchmen!
—Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for tyrannical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannical
Adjective
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After a summer of oppressive heat, October is when New York City hits its stride.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
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Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during the match, which was played in oppressive heat and humidity, before retiring down 6-1, 4-1.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Her anxiety stems from her domineering mother (Barbara Hershey) and rival dancer (Mila Kunis) who may or may not be after her part in the ballet.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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And one of the reasons the film doesn’t succeed is Meryl Streep’s grotesque performance as the filterless, domineering matriarch.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a moving moment of magnanimity, which won’t be given away here, that proves the underlying dignity of a people broken by an authoritarian state.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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The plot of His Dark Materials is driven by the long-running conflict between Pullman’s heroine, a bold, lithely intelligent 11-year-old named Lyra, and the Magisterium, an authoritarian incarnation of Christianity.—
Lev Grossman,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Building off a masterful National League Championship Series performance, Yamamoto became the first pitcher to log consecutive postseason complete games since Arizona Diamondbacks ace Curt Schilling in 2001, and the first Dodger to do it since Orel Hershiser in 1988.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
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Still, Tagovailoa put on a masterful performance against the Falcons, completing 77% of his passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The autocratic czarist regime ruled with an iron hand and suppressed opposition through censorship, banishment, and executions.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
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As with previous generations of Russians under autocratic rule, from tsarism to Soviet communism, there was no purpose in worrying about the causes of the storm.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Especially right now, when most of whatever happens next would seem to be determined by arbitrary and despotic centers of earthly power.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
7 Oct. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Several lawsuits have already been filed challenging the fee and selection changes, with universities, labor groups, and business organizations arguing that the administration exceeded its authority and that the new rules are arbitrary.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Not every such deprivation becomes a literal matter of life and death as in the play, but making use of such scenarios enables Shakespeare to highlight more effectively the danger of arbitrary action.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Trump is unconventional, but not dictatorial.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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The meeting was especially notable considering Putin’s long-standing backing of Al-Sharaa’s predecessor, Bashar al-Assad, whose dictatorial regime was ousted by rebel forces in December.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrannical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannical. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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