as in dictatorship
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
a popular uprising replaced that nation's tyranny with freedom and democracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyranny
As America celebrates its 249th anniversary and a declaration of independence from tyranny on July 4, Bolick's comments represent his most piercing and direct condemnation of actions taken by the country's highest political leaders.
—
Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Religious freedom and freedom of speech make up the engine of self-government and form a bulwark against tyranny.
—Kristen Waggoner, National Review, 5 July 2025
Determined to liberate Panem, Katniss and her fellow rebels embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of the Capitol to save the nation from President Snow’s tyranny once and for all.
—Kelly Martinez Published, EW.com, 5 July 2025
Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution, but from annihilation.
—Rob Day, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Religious freedom and freedom of speech make up the engine of self-government and form a bulwark against tyranny.
—Kristen Waggoner, National Review, 5 July 2025
Determined to liberate Panem, Katniss and her fellow rebels embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of the Capitol to save the nation from President Snow’s tyranny once and for all.
—Kelly Martinez Published, EW.com, 5 July 2025
Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution, but from annihilation.
—Rob Day, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
Noun
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During the dictatorship, blackouts were used to control people.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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But if Trump’s Iran gamble turns out well and Iran’s theocratic dictatorship either crumbles or gives up its uranium enrichment program through diplomatic negotiations — a big if — Trump will be credited with having done something four previous presidents contemplated but ultimately failed to do.—
Andres Oppenheimer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Like many other industrialized nations, Japan in the 1930s turned to fascism and the construction of autarkic economic empires as a solution to the instabilities engendered by capitalist modernity.—
Waiyee Loh,
JSTOR Daily,
2 July 2025
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Amid the coming-out balls, proposals and a whopper of a divorce scandal, a more insidious theme emerged: the rise of fascism in Europe, and two of the sisters’ infatuation with it.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 June 2025
Noun
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If not for our nation’s First Amendment, our country could quickly resemble a despotism where police forces attack reporters and quash news reports that diverge from the official view.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
15 July 2025
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Can that Huntington Beach teach the rest of us a thing — or thirty — not just about how to stand up to despotism, but how to beat it back?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Michael Douglas spoke out against the risks of autocracy in the U.S. and touted the benefits of democracy during a press conference at the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) in the Czech Republic on Saturday.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
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While this is a global phenomenon, our American political version is especially theatrical, featuring a President who is tipping democracy toward autocracy, a functioning economy toward recession and a diverse society toward culture war.—
Ginny Whitelaw,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Mao had also fully grasped the natural suitability of photographic and filmic media for the broadcasting and cognitive technologies of totalitarianism.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
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Hannah Arendt and the Fight for the Truth (Public Books) by John Plotz Hannah Arendt famously wrote about totalitarianism.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 May 2025
Noun
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The idea that executive absolutism can be stopped by a single district judge is a romantic but inaccurate one.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
2 July 2025
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Its champions gradually came to reinterpret the end of licensing as a natural consequence of the Revolution of 1688—part of the progression from tyrannical absolutism to parliamentary monarchy.—
Fara Dabhoiwala,
Harpers Magazine,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 31 Jul. 2025.
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