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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyranny
Focus Features has set a Sept 11 release for the Paul Greengrass directed, Andrew Garfield starring The Uprising, which follows the untold true story of a ferocious rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
With control ceded to the computer clock, the drummer is left filling in the spaces like a kid with a coloring book, straining against the tyranny of the click track in their ears.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
If Congress checks out, Bagenstos says, that increases the risk of tyranny from the executive.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
Of course, the titular Boys will try their best to end his tyranny.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
With control ceded to the computer clock, the drummer is left filling in the spaces like a kid with a coloring book, straining against the tyranny of the click track in their ears.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
If Congress checks out, Bagenstos says, that increases the risk of tyranny from the executive.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
Of course, the titular Boys will try their best to end his tyranny.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
Noun
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The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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Many had argued that the banner, which largely meditates on the violence of the Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia, contained antisemitic caricatures.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Drawing on her everyday experiences as a single mother, her work addresses issues connected to the political domestication of women, authoritarianism and fascism, the patriarchy and capitalism.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
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But these arrangements fell apart as fascism rose across Europe and Asia and regimes from Nazi Germany to Imperial Japan denounced their international legal obligations.—
Vivek Krishnamurthy,
The Conversation,
5 May 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
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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
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If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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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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Another totalitarianism, so recently an ally, was already on the march.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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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
Noun
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The young Forster recoiled from the school’s culture of authoritarianism and militaristic chauvinism, which may have found expression in the students’ often appalling attitudes toward their own mothers.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Drawing on her everyday experiences as a single mother, her work addresses issues connected to the political domestication of women, authoritarianism and fascism, the patriarchy and capitalism.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.—
Andrew Cuomo,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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