as in harsh
difficult to endure
an oppressive regime that rules through terror
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Recent Examples of oppressive
The Black Cops Who Fought Brutality on Their Own Force
In 1960s Chicago, members of the Afro-American Patrolman's League challenged oppressive policing in Black communities.
—
JSTOR Daily, 20 Feb. 2025
Currently, asylum seekers who committed crimes seen as political in nature—i.e. toward an oppressive regime—could be granted asylum, as could those guilty of misdemeanors.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
But the show pulls back just enough on the oppressive horror vibes of Season Two without losing a perpetual sense of unease from those scenes.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
Loading your audio article As an activist fighting the oppressive Nicaraguan regime, Carmen risked her life to save others.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
JSTOR Daily, 20 Feb. 2025
Currently, asylum seekers who committed crimes seen as political in nature—i.e. toward an oppressive regime—could be granted asylum, as could those guilty of misdemeanors.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
But the show pulls back just enough on the oppressive horror vibes of Season Two without losing a perpetual sense of unease from those scenes.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025
Loading your audio article As an activist fighting the oppressive Nicaraguan regime, Carmen risked her life to save others.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppressive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressive
Adjective
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The 79-year-old Oscar winner embraces the challenging role of the Dutton family matriarch alongside co-star Harrison Ford, confronting everything from mountain lions to the harsh realities of frontier life.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
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Her lyric vocal writing contends with harsh reality, but her style is never far from profound rapture.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The free chow was served daily, except on Fridays, and continued through a brutal period of industrywide cost-cutting that persists to this day.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
1 Mar. 2025
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England’s Champions Trophy campaign finally came to a brutal end when they were beaten by South Africa in Karachi by seven wickets with almost 21 overs to spare.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This all adds up to a tough investment outlook for any business looking at Ukraine’s mineral supply.—
Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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Ties during Trump’s first term One of the hallmarks of the first Trump Administration was a tougher stance towards China compared to his predecessors, through tit-for-tat tariffs and an Indo-Pacific strategy that aimed to curb Beijing’s growing influence in the Western Pacific.—
Chad de Guzman,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hackman’s searing turn as the hyper, gum-smacking Doyle in the documentary-style French Connection distinguished him as a leading man.—
Duane Byrge,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
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Bouchard’s five-on-five on-ice outscoring is a searing total.—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Konstantopoulos has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a chronic condition that affects connective tissues and makes injuries more frequent and severe.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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Isolated, severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts are possible for the Baltimore area Wednesday.—
Matt Hubbard,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 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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Known for his rough and tumble roles, the two-time Oscar winner died Feb. 26, 2025.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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The results, while still a little rough around the edges, show how much extra longevity can be wrung from simple tweaks to existing gameplay.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressive. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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