variants
also tsarist
or tzarist
as in oppressive
exercising power or authority without interference by others
the trustees felt that the university needed a strong, czarist leader who could propel it to world-class status
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of czarist
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.
—
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Since tsarist times, Russia has ensured Armenia’s loyalty by promising to defend it against the Ottoman Empire (and then against its successor, Turkey) with sustained military support.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Since tsarist times, Russia has ensured Armenia’s loyalty by promising to defend it against the Ottoman Empire (and then against its successor, Turkey) with sustained military support.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for czarist
Adjective
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Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2026
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McElya described this as an oppressive framework that barred representation of LGBTQ+ identities.—
Elijah Polance,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This film exposes the brutal dismantling of women’s rights under an authoritarian regime.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
-
And how some close to him bristled when asked questions about his authoritarian streak and his departure from organizing, distractions that left the union’s power flagging.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
InThis arbitrary selection was not a neutral act of civic stewardship.—
Matt Klink,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The report did not say exactly how many people are subject to arbitrary detention.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Huerta became one of Chavez’s fiercest defenders even after revelations about his autocratic ways became public — but what else was she supposed to do when people tied so much of her identity to him?—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
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Numerous Democratic lawmakers denounced Carr’s threat as a page straight out of an autocratic playbook.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The monarchist movement has not governed Iran since 1979, and its corrupt, despotic leader was overthrown in the revolution.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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My ability to complete Ballot during a genocide and despotic takeover hinged on confronting these uncomfortable truths.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Enslaved by a tyrannical regime for nearly half a century, everyday Iranians long passionately for their freedom, as the rebellion earlier this year showed.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These tyrannous tabbies don’t understand that canning is not exclusively for wet food.—
Julie Klausner,
Vulture,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Indeed, Daniel Roher’s pulse-pumping documentary about the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has all the ingredients: a mysterious case of near-fatal poisoning, a web of for-hire hoodlums, Vladimir Putin as the tyrannous leader behind it all.—
Tomris Laffly,
Harper's BAZAAR,
1 Feb. 2022
Adjective
-
Aggressive, a bit dictatorial’.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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They are aimed at liberty, normalization and everything dictatorial theocracy fears most.—
Calev Myers,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Czarist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/czarist. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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