as in harsh
formal + disapproving
unnecessarily strict or severe
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease. draconian punishments
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Recent Examples of draconian
The platforms under Zuckerberg’s Meta umbrella — Instagram, Facebook, and Threads — all have the same draconian policies against weed.
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Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
This, too, was the outcome of years of fighting after voters in 1994 approved the nation’s most draconian measures against the undocumented, the infamous Proposition 187.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The mayor has presented his budget as a choice between the second-largest property tax increase in city history or draconian cuts — but this paints a false illusion.
—Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2024
Conservatives have long sought to cap the federal allotments to states, which critics say would lead to draconian cuts.
—Rachel Reiff Ellis, Fortune Well, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for draconian 
Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2024
This, too, was the outcome of years of fighting after voters in 1994 approved the nation’s most draconian measures against the undocumented, the infamous Proposition 187.
—Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
The mayor has presented his budget as a choice between the second-largest property tax increase in city history or draconian cuts — but this paints a false illusion.
—Paul Vallas, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2024
Conservatives have long sought to cap the federal allotments to states, which critics say would lead to draconian cuts.
—Rachel Reiff Ellis, Fortune Well, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
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The corps’ push for additional benefits coincided with a harsh realization for the British Army: For white men, service in the West Indies was viewed as a death sentence due to the high risk of disease.Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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Remove all types of rose winterization in mid-March before the plants break dormancy but after harsh winter temperatures have passed.Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Winter's brutal grip is continuing Friday for millions across the eastern U.S. as temperatures remain well below average.Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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Thousands of prisoners have now been freed, many after decades of incarceration in brutal conditions.Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Their life is interrupted by the arrival of a group of pale, ghostly white lions, an outsider tribe of scavengers led by the ruthless Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), looking to occupy and control this land.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024
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Storks Are Fascinating Beyond Their Brood Reducing Ways Despite their ruthless parenting, storks are fascinating creatures with other interesting traits.Scott Travers, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The ongoing siege at the Argentine embassy in Caracas is a stark reminder of the oppressive lengths to which Nicolás Maduro’s regime will go to silence dissent.David Smolansky, National Review, 12 Dec. 2024
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The film embraces heroism in the face of an oppressive regime, the strength of fraternal ties and the themes of love, betrayal, morality and hope.Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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By the time Lovely Runner’s series finale dropped in late May, millions of K-drama fans around the world had become invested in the story of Sol and Sun-jae, desperate to find out if their love could withstand the cruel vagaries of fate.Kayti Burt, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024
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The gods prove cruel but not omnipotent, and the modern settings exert their own redemptive pull; the final effect is that of a magic trick, in which the characters manage, in each film’s miraculous closing moments, to slip the bonds of tragedy.Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near draconian
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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