Thesaurus results for OPPRESSOR

oppressor

noun

Definition of oppressor

as in tyrant

a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way the dictatorship had scarcely been overthrown when the formerly oppressed suddenly abandoned their democratic ideals and became the oppressors

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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 oppressor These included quotes by Fanon, a philosopher who wrote extensively about the ways in which colonized people adopt the mindsets of their oppressors. — Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Can an accurate story of a system of oppression be derived from sources created and preserved by the oppressors? — Drew Gilpin Faust, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 For the left that supports the Palestinian cause, Muslims are the oppressed and the West – including Israel – are the oppressors… Whether Muslims hold conservative-religious views in this context is irrelevant. — Tyler Speicher, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026 But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. — William Earl, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 During this icy inspection, Hurston decided to inflict as much discomfort as possible on her oppressors by remaining in the office as a form of passive resistance. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 But in the museum's current telling, history is just an ongoing power struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 21 July 2026 The practice likely had its roots in mid-20th century productions and crystallized over the decades, though American accents have often been used in film history to differentiate the oppressed from the oppressor. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 Your structure sorts the whole world into two boxes, oppressor and oppressed. — Joyce Kamanitz, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressor

Noun

He got obsessed with building an empire, started Solar Productions, and became a tyrant both on set and off.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Plato warned that an unhealthy democracy can easily fall prey to a tyrant.

— Kenneth Michael White, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of tyrant

Noun

Ali Abdullah Saleh, the longtime dictator of Yemen, was overthrown during the Arab Spring and the Houthis were able to seize a large chunk of territory.

— Ariana Aspuru, Vox, 19 Oct. 2026
Without principle, without a moral compass, with no checks and balances, our would-be-dictator is an embarrassing stain on the soul of a once-proud America.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of dictator

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oppressiveness

oppressor

oppressors

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“Oppressor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressor. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of oppressor

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