1
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering
you can't repress your feelings forever, so tell her how you feel about her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repress
The Murillo-Ortega dictatorship has been accused of repressing the Nicaraguan people — especially Catholic and LGBTQ citizens.
—
Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The agency was founded in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin and employed by mining companies in West Virginia and Colorado to repress strikes.
—Robert Forrant, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Jake Shore, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Cubans for decades have been buffeted by great powers, repressed by their own government, crushed by economic crises, and paraded as the victims of a succession of sanctions imposed by the White House.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The agency was founded in the early 1890s by William Gibbony Baldwin and employed by mining companies in West Virginia and Colorado to repress strikes.
—Robert Forrant, The Conversation, 20 Apr. 2026
Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repress
Verb
-
Kyle Schwarber stands as a stunning exception to the San Diego ballpark’s home-run suppressing history.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2026
-
Like seawater, ice exerts pressure on the Earth’s crust, suppressing volcanic activity.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Everyone was very, very, very religious, but specifically Christianity and Catholicism, which in my opinion are very stifling religions that are very God-fearing.—
Louis Staples,
Glamour,
27 May 2026
-
Since the party rose to power in 2014, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, critics have accused it of stifling civil liberties and the press, pursuing a Hindu-first agenda, and inflaming religious divisions within India’s secular democracy.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
While the emergency response quelled the threat of a violent explosion as of Monday night, 16,000 residents, largely from the city of Stanton, were still unable to return home until all evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
But that promise was swallowed by ambition.—
Matthew Scogin,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
-
Sinkhole at LaGuardia swallows plans One of only two runways at New York’s bustling LaGuardia Airport remains closed as fallout from Wednesday’s discovery of a sinkhole on the pavement spills into the weekend.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
But by 2010, her inner punk and penchant for pattern-maxxing had subdued.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
-
In the case of Britain’s war to subdue American revolutionaries, nothing could be further from the truth.—
Nick Bunker,
Washington Post,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repress. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
