as in harsh
formal + disapproving
unnecessarily strict or severe
The editorial criticizes the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease. draconian punishments
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of draconian
But China has moved aggressively in the past five years to curtail Hong Kong’s autonomy, undermining its judicial independence and imposing a draconian national security law.
—
Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Mar. 2025
American science is the envy of the world, but this global leadership is now threatened by draconian cuts to federal support of biomedical research through the defunding of grants and drastic reductions in funding for essential research costs and infrastructure.
—Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Yet targeting something as basic as library funding seems draconian at best.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Wars rage on, political leaders rise to power and pass draconian laws and crises — both natural and man-made — keep unfolding.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Mar. 2025
American science is the envy of the world, but this global leadership is now threatened by draconian cuts to federal support of biomedical research through the defunding of grants and drastic reductions in funding for essential research costs and infrastructure.
—Dr. Ardem Patapoutian, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2025
Yet targeting something as basic as library funding seems draconian at best.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025
Wars rage on, political leaders rise to power and pass draconian laws and crises — both natural and man-made — keep unfolding.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for draconian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for draconian
Adjective
-
Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Several previous town halls gave a platform to politically damaging attacks on GOP lawmakers over Trump’s policies and especially the harsh cuts in government agencies engineered by billionaire first buddy Elon Musk.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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O’Neil had shown a more ruthless streak in dealing with Lemina, stripping the midfielder of the captaincy after those embarrassing post-match scenes at West Ham.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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There is the ruthless spymaster Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and his mysterious assistant Kleya (Elizabeth Dulau).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
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The current war in Sudan involves civil strife and shifting allegiances, in which one oppressive regime was toppled by a coalition, which then turned in on itself, leading to an even more vicious war.—
Lawrence D. Freedman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
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But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Draconian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/draconian. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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