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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyranny
The guitar, by transitive property, broke down racial and class barriers, fought tyranny, freed up minds and bodies.
—
Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The Founding Fathers, having witnessed the abuses of centralized power under British rule, embedded this model into the Constitution to ensure a system of checks and balances, where each branch could limit the powers of the others, safeguarding against tyranny and upholding the rule of law.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Wooster struggled to govern Montreal’s divided citizens and often erred on the side of tyranny.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
To inform his portrait of a civilization giving itself over to tyranny, Lucas had harked back to history and myth.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
The Founding Fathers, having witnessed the abuses of centralized power under British rule, embedded this model into the Constitution to ensure a system of checks and balances, where each branch could limit the powers of the others, safeguarding against tyranny and upholding the rule of law.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Wooster struggled to govern Montreal’s divided citizens and often erred on the side of tyranny.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 May 2025
To inform his portrait of a civilization giving itself over to tyranny, Lucas had harked back to history and myth.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
Noun
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Miami Dade College also owns the Freedom Tower, an iconic building that once welcomed Cubans fleeing the Fidel Castro dictatorship.—
Douglas Hanks,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The order bars entry for most applicants seeking tourist, student and business visas, further narrowing the few remaining legal pathways for families torn apart by dictatorship, displacement and economic collapse.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
Noun
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At the Seder, Molly compared liberatory ideas to the wind, an invisible force that blows everywhere and can’t be contained, even in the face of fascism.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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This is a core manifestation of fascism — using federal forces to put down dissent.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Now American culture bows down to Anna Wintour’s despotism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 May 2025
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The necessity of power sharing also meant that Congress could provide a check against despotism even if the same party held the Presidency and a majority in both houses.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Some Democrats warn that the U.S. is sliding toward autocracy – a system in which one leader holds unchecked power.—
Daniel Treisman,
The Conversation,
3 June 2025
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This capital city doesn't have the trappings of an autocracy.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Communism and other forms of totalitarianism are often said to be antihuman.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
19 May 2025
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This lively novel examines the compromises and complicity of artists working in the face of totalitarianism through a fictional retelling of the life of the Austrian film director G. W. Pabst.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Noun
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Women, regardless of hue, were excluded from the ballot with monastic absolutism.—
Jack Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
17 May 2025
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Bolton’s moral absolutism does not play well there.—
Christopher Sabatini,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Mar. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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