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
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Recent Examples of tyranny
For example, they might be classified by the number of rulers, thus distinguishing government by one (as in a monarchy or a tyranny) from government by the few (in an aristocracy or oligarchy) and from government by the many (as in a democracy).
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
While the 1930s and 1940s did see some instances of carnival poking fun at the tyranny of the Nazi regime (none of which, it should be noted, went unpunished), Birdsall and other scholars maintain that the festival was, first and foremost, an avenue for propaganda.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
According to the Indivisible site, what began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy.
—Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Our heroes like Hughey (Jack McQuaid) are imprisoned under Homelander's (Antony Starr) tyranny, and all hope seems to be lost.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
While the 1930s and 1940s did see some instances of carnival poking fun at the tyranny of the Nazi regime (none of which, it should be noted, went unpunished), Birdsall and other scholars maintain that the festival was, first and foremost, an avenue for propaganda.
—Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
According to the Indivisible site, what began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy.
—Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Our heroes like Hughey (Jack McQuaid) are imprisoned under Homelander's (Antony Starr) tyranny, and all hope seems to be lost.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
Noun
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Under dictatorship until 1974 and long one of Western Europe’s poorest nations, Portugal developed a design ethos rooted in practicality.—
Christine Chitnis,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
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Rafael Montalvo, president of the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association, said the museum will also educate visitors about the harm caused by decades of Communist dictatorship.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The questions and solutions change with every performance, ranging from Masli making difficult phone calls on an audience member’s behalf, recovering a long-missing recipe, finding the name of an old song or ending global fascism.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
There are so many good folks who are carving out community and lifting each other up in the face of fascism.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eight decades later, as nations inch toward despotism, an art animated by democratic impulses makes a stronger case for itself.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Since 2021, the state has been grappling with slowing economic output, weaning itself off a property market bubble, and trying to find a balance between promoting a free market and stock exchange within a one-party autocracy.—
Joseph Wilkins,Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While the Russian government has taken steps in the past to acknowledge the culpability of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin and his regime, some Russian-language commentators see the display as a massive step back toward denying the crimes of totalitarianism.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
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American freedom was the antidote to the icy grip of totalitarianism, whether from Nazis or Communists.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The themes of authoritarianism and overpowering violent governments are very present.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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First, in conditions short of absolute authoritarianism, as long as elections are still happening, ousting a wannabe dictator is possible.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Advice or even just notions—only check email after noon; never do 10 reps of crunches—solidify into absolutism or vanish.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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