as in muted
not excessively showy
a 19th-century church in the repressed style favored by the strict religious sect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in suppressed
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stifled
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
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Recent Examples of repressed
Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2026
And, in the aftermath of a stomach-churning stick-up that twisted my guts with the queasy horror of a repressed memory, Gary is given a week to make the problem go away.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repressed
Adjective
Among those acolytes is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a reedy, repressed young virgin who yearns to be part of the gay community but hasn’t the courage to come out to his domineering mother Christine (Elisabeth Wiener), who also just happens to be the country’s very right-wing health minister.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2026
And, in the aftermath of a stomach-churning stick-up that twisted my guts with the queasy horror of a repressed memory, Gary is given a week to make the problem go away.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
Verb
Dispatches Evening Read Cubans’ Despair By Gisela Salim-Peyer 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.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Reforms often required strong executive power, largely at the expense of social stability and democratic legitimacy; protests against the IMF’s programs left scores dead as authorities repressed dissent.
—Sven Van Mourik, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for repressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repressed
Adjective
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Here are a few takeaways from the sentencing hearing, including Heuermann’s muted statement, the heartfelt and emotional speeches from victims’ families and the next steps on the road to justice.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Pair it with pale blues and garden greens to double up on muted hues, or embrace the cinnamon hue and layer it with earth tones.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The development came after the judge ruled in May that evidence found during an initial search of Mangione's backpack must be suppressed, including a magazine, cell phone, passport and wallet.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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The charge, involving the magazine that was suppressed by the court, was formally dismissed Wednesday.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Verb
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This poor girl no longer has an identity beyond pleasing her male companion, who becomes both stifled by alarmed by this sudden, non-consensual change in personality.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Critics said the two security laws have stifled the city's Western-style civil liberties that Beijing had promised to maintain when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Elinor Dashwood is the epitome of Sense—self-contained, controlled, restrained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
When a court issues a domestic violence protective order, federal law prohibits the restrained person from possessing a gun.—
Sativa Banks,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Verb
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His last-minute decision to increase payouts, announced two days before the congress, quelled a larger revolt.—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
-
But that has not quelled the far-right’s violence.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2013, a 100-foot-wide sinkhole swallowed entire multi-story residential buildings at Summer Bay Resort in Clermont.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
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The night started with a guarantee, got swallowed by 3-pointers, turned sour at the whistle and somehow ended with the Garden shaking beneath a celebration nobody saw coming.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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All in all, Louis's hijinks were much more subdued than in previous years, however.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
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The Garden Room was also recently reimagined and now hosts Après Tea, a more elegant and subdued take on the post-ski tradition.—
Chadner Navarro,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Only six minutes into this match, New Zealand has scored to take a 1-0 lead and temporarily quiet what had been a raucous crowd tilted toward the Iranian team.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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The end of mandatory minicamp ushers in the quietest time on the NFL calendar.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Repressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repressed. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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