as in harsh
difficult to endure
an oppressive regime that rules through terror
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of oppressive
Convention attendees in 1831 sought an end to cruel and oppressive laws devised to disadvantage free Blacks.
—
Linn Washington, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025
Iran has seen an outstanding rise in the number of Christian converts, despite the decidedly oppressive environment.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2025
The triangle was turned right-side-up to show that gay people were standing up to oppressive forces.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
My parents came here from Syria, carrying their stories of the oppressive regime there that made life unlivable.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
Linn Washington, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025
Iran has seen an outstanding rise in the number of Christian converts, despite the decidedly oppressive environment.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 16 Feb. 2025
The triangle was turned right-side-up to show that gay people were standing up to oppressive forces.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
My parents came here from Syria, carrying their stories of the oppressive regime there that made life unlivable.
—Armando Garcia, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressive
Adjective
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Designed for hiking and other outdoor adventures, these water-resistant pants are made with UPF 50 protection from harsh sun rays along with several spacious, handy pockets.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Mar. 2025
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The source fears the men will never go to trial and could die in prison, given the harsh conditions and El Salvador's track record.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And often times that can yield lead to some brutal consequences.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Even without snow, the drop in temperature alone can be brutal.—
Elizabeth Medeiros,
Health,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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What tough lessons does Cole learn through the process of getting involved with a patient this season?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
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Even if Denver had that many future second-rounders to offer this summer, doing so two consecutive years would be a tough pill to swallow.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The main topic of conversation was how the duo turned a photo album featuring the banal daily activities of workers at Auschwitz-Birkenau into a searing play.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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Every actor’s Hamlet is theirs and theirs alone, and Olivier’s is big and hammy and searing and often quite devastating.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The group also performed a skin transplant using gene-edit pig skin into a person with severe burns.—
Alice Park,
Time,
26 Mar. 2025
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Nearly two dozen people have been hospitalized after experiencing a severe reaction from the bites.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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What's particularly cruel about that reality is that after years of dealing with questions about his weight, the former Duke Blue Devil star played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24.—
Bobby Krivitsky,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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As poor, lost, beautiful Dorian becomes more and more shallow and cruel—with only the portrait locked away in his attic reflecting the decay of his body and soul—Williams and Snook together locate Wilde’s evocation of a particularly insidious kind of societal cancer.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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My strands were very soft post-wash and there was no oil or frizzy, rough texture post-wash.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
4 Apr. 2025
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This is his first-person account of how a rough start after high school eventually led to a job at The Star and a redemptive moment while on assignment.—
Dominick Williams,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressive. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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