as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
suffered a lingering oppression in the weeks after his dog died
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Recent Examples of oppression
The basic plot mirrors Kon Ichikawa’s brutal antiwar classic Fires on the Plain, in which Japanese soldiers are left to starve on the Philippines island of Leyte during the waning days of World War II, and Anderson is serious about political oppression and the power of dissent.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
Ukraine’s foreign ministry in April also accused Russia of religious oppression in occupied territories, where hundreds of churches have been destroyed, and some 67 clergy members killed since the start of the war.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025
Drawing from historical references and traditional craft, Gibson honors the legacy of Native makers while confronting ongoing systems of oppression.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 June 2025
The white minority in South Africa established and perpetuated a culture of apartheid in South Africa for over 40 years until the early 1990s, resulting in systematic oppression, political domination, segregation and discrimination against the predominantly Black population.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppression
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 June 2025
Ukraine’s foreign ministry in April also accused Russia of religious oppression in occupied territories, where hundreds of churches have been destroyed, and some 67 clergy members killed since the start of the war.
—Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025
Drawing from historical references and traditional craft, Gibson honors the legacy of Native makers while confronting ongoing systems of oppression.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 4 June 2025
The white minority in South Africa established and perpetuated a culture of apartheid in South Africa for over 40 years until the early 1990s, resulting in systematic oppression, political domination, segregation and discrimination against the predominantly Black population.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for oppression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppression
Noun
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Over time, the nearly circular 75-mile-wide (120 kilometers) depression has been eroded by water and ice, enlarging it to nearly twice its initial size.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, at the party, Marcus’ drinking is out of control; his depression is getting worse.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
5 June 2025
Noun
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That betrayal, like so many others, fed the melancholy in Brian's music.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
-
With melancholy and playfulness both, Seed threads in her own introspective voice-over and contemporary footage (poring over material, visiting her dad, sparring with a boyfriend).—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
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To date, the Facebook post about her story has garnered more than 19,000 reactions, sparking a wave of sorrow and outrage from animal lovers across the country.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
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Prefaced by a host of personal disasters—the death of her mother’s onetime partner Mary Norcross, her own hospitalization for digestive problems, her mother’s painful shingles and neuralgia—the decade of the 1940s brought sorrow.—
Susan Gubar
June 9,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
Noun
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Among the thousands left in anguish is Sasha Escalante, a 44-year-old Venezuelan radio producer living in Miami.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
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Criminalizing them can lead to extended mental anguish.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Oppression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppression. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.
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