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tyranny

noun

ˈtir-ə-nē How to pronounce tyranny (audio)
Definition of tyrannynext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tyranny While Queen Romana projected the image of a supreme ruler who alternated between benevolence and tyranny, Didulo the person was all too human. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 Fandom has been around since the advent of mass media, but with that old world dying and the new one (bluntly summarized, its main features are social media plus the tyranny of the algorithm) very much born, now is the time of fangirls. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026 Extremists connected these claims to older ideas about government tyranny, social control and corrupt elites. — Art Jipson, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 Inspired by the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381, The Uprising sees Garfield’s character become an unexpected leader in the rebellion against the tyranny of King Richard II, whose implementation of unfair taxes on the working class sparked the uprising. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
  1. dictatorship
  2. fascism
  3. despotism
  4. autocracy
  5. totalitarianism
  6. authoritarianism
  7. absolutism
Noun
  • In those years many Latin American countries had repressive governments, military coups, dictatorships, and undeclared wars against the poor and the indigenous population, which were backed by the CIA in the context of the Cold War.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In Peru under dictatorship, two of three long-time lovers marry for appearances but flee from their conservative rural community for the capital after their secret is exposed by the third.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictatorship
Noun
  • At least a million soldiers fighting in the British and French armies against fascism were Muslims.
    — Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In Conversation What Wiemar Germany’s theater can teach us about artistic expression in the shadow of rising fascism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of fascism
Noun
  • The nation which will not adopt an equilibrium of power must adopt a despotism.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • His dream was nothing less than a new reality, a hopeful future free of despotism, ruled by equality and liberty, rather than kings and queens.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of despotism
Noun
  • The Ostrich Army spoke of the impending incursion as the advent of jackboot autocracy, but plans to resist it seemed more equivocal.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Bluster and bravado are big parts of the playbook for North Korea, an isolated and oft-sanctioned autocracy that the Kim family has ruled since 1948.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of autocracy
Noun
  • Most often, socialism morphs into totalitarianism, as its egalitarian ideals are no match for human nature.
    — Nolan Finley The Detroit News, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Interesting, too, how the project’s warnings about Russian totalitarianism, particularly stark in DAU.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of totalitarianism
Noun
  • The Oscar winner took a walk down memory lane to detail how many artists and collaborators lifted him up on his journey while also taking aim at authoritarianism.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The thing needed, even in the days of galloping authoritarianism, is to cut the Court down to size.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarianism
Noun
  • Their agenda was backward-looking, morally coercive, and steeped in righteous absolutism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The meta story of Life of M’s creation — how Cusk ignored decorum in favor of artistic absolutism — is perhaps the most intriguing element of this saga.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of absolutism

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tyrannous
tyranny
tyrant
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Cite this Entry

“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tyranny

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tyranny

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