tyrannize

verb

Definition of tyrannizenext
as in to oppress

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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 tyrannize Among his memorable leading performances were roles as an explosive Marine pilot who tyrannizes his family in The Great Santini (1979) and as a fading, alcoholic country singer in Tender Mercies (1983), which won him a Best Actor Oscar. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 24 Feb. 2026 There would be plenty to celebrate if Iranians successfully replaced the Islamist regime that has tyrannized them for 45 years. — Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 18 June 2025 The driving force behind these antics is a tyrannizing uncertainty. — Andrew Kay, Harpers Magazine, 28 May 2025 The mechanics of Shakespeare’s plot — unfolding first in rigid, tyrannized Sicilia and then in pastoral, sunnier Bohemia — hinge on our rooting for the characters Leontes so cruelly censures. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023 Saddam Hussein tyrannized Iraq for 12 years after his troops were routed in Kuwait in 1991. — Daniel Treisman, Foreign Affairs, 2 Nov. 2022 In the process, these majority ethnic coalitions tyrannize and marginalize other groups, particularly those that are not members of the coalition. — John Mukum Mbaku, Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2021 In Portsmouth, Virginia, cops have been systematically using their state power to tyrannize political enemies. — Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 28 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrannize
  1. oppress
  2. dominate
  3. dictate
  4. domineer
  5. regulate
Verb
  • At the sectarian level, Baptists ridiculed Quakers, Presbyterians oppressed Anabaptists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Look what women can do when they’re not abused, oppressed, and angry about being abused and oppressed!
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of oppress
Verb
  • Vucic dominated Serbian politics since becoming president of the Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, in 2012, then becoming prime minister in 2014, then switching over to president in 2017.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Club name Meta Platforms , as well as SpaceX and Anthropic, are dominating the headlines on Monday with plans to raise their share of the shrinking capital pie for the next legs of their AI ambitions.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominate
Verb
  • River Forest NIMBYs deserve a hearing but they should not be allowed to dictate transportation policy for the entire Northern Illinois region.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • For example, when a witness answers a question, the judge can now dictate what should be recorded by Adalat.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictate
Verb
  • While independent venues shuttered during the pandemic, venue domineer Live Nation — which can much more easily close its doors for soundproofing or for an infectious outbreak — posted its best years in 2022 and 2023.
    — Katie Thornton, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2024
  • When her father Philip dies, Rachel’s domineering mother, Carol, played by Ormond (see first look image), driven by the belief that Philip’s lifeless body will revive itself, forces her daughter to live with the corpse.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 June 2023
Definition of domineer
Verb
  • Space companies are regulated primarily by the FCC, which governs technologies used by satellites.
    — Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The controversy emphasized how California, where shelters are overflowing with animals, failed to regulate private rescue groups.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of regulate

Browse Nearby Words

tyrannically
tyrannize
tyrannized
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Cite this Entry

“Tyrannize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrannize. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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