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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Recent Examples of oppressor
Dishwatery types become heroes; victims become oppressors.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Colonialism affects every aspect of life, from language to religion, from dress to traditions, and those legacies don’t necessarily disappear after an oppressor is ousted.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Repressive policies will eventually create uprising against the oppressors.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
The film focuses on their heated debate, as some wish to fight their oppressors while others argue for a calculated escape.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
This clause had been included to mitigate white citizens’ fears that if armed, Blacks would turn the weapons on their oppressors.
—Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025
Natalie Portman stars as Evey, a young working-class woman rescued from the secret police by a masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), who is leading a plot to take down the oppressors in dramatic fashion.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Despite Republican efforts to identify their party with Israel and to tag Democrats as providing aid and comfort to its enemies, younger evangelical Christians are breaking with their parents on the issue, seeing Israel as an oppressor rather than as a victim.
—David M. Halbfinger, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Colonialism affects every aspect of life, from language to religion, from dress to traditions, and those legacies don’t necessarily disappear after an oppressor is ousted.
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
But freedom of expression is a constant pursuit, as natural as breathing, and silencing it is an imperfect practice that exhausts the oppressor and energizes the oppressed.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
Repressive policies will eventually create uprising against the oppressors.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
The film focuses on their heated debate, as some wish to fight their oppressors while others argue for a calculated escape.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025
This clause had been included to mitigate white citizens’ fears that if armed, Blacks would turn the weapons on their oppressors.
—Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025
Natalie Portman stars as Evey, a young working-class woman rescued from the secret police by a masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), who is leading a plot to take down the oppressors in dramatic fashion.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Despite Republican efforts to identify their party with Israel and to tag Democrats as providing aid and comfort to its enemies, younger evangelical Christians are breaking with their parents on the issue, seeing Israel as an oppressor rather than as a victim.
—David M. Halbfinger, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oppressor
Noun
-
When a tyrant falls, we may be tempted to imagine a final moment of tragic self-awareness—a personal reckoning, like Oedipus blinding himself, or Macbeth raging on the heath.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The only thing for the United States to negotiate with dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel is when to step down.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Its focus soon shifted to ousting dictator Slobodan Milosevic, using mass demonstrations and a general strike across the provinces to make its point.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Oppressor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oppressor. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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