as in dictatorship
a system of government in which the ruler has unlimited power
a popular uprising replaced that nation's tyranny with freedom and democracy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tyranny
This friction between democracy and tyranny is still at the heart of our times.
—
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
The balance of power between federal and state governments was the best way to prevent tyranny, manage national affairs such as foreign policy and commerce, and preserve state autonomy over internal local affairs.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Standing up to British tyranny was not breaking the law, but upholding it.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 17 May 2026
The balance of power between federal and state governments was the best way to prevent tyranny, manage national affairs such as foreign policy and commerce, and preserve state autonomy over internal local affairs.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Assayas offers anecdotes, a feuilleton of tyranny in which the foibles of the mighty and the ruthless reveal the sentimental side of cruelty, the amusement value of ugly deeds, and the polite side of monstrous ideas.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 May 2026
Standing up to British tyranny was not breaking the law, but upholding it.
—Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyranny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyranny
Noun
-
Public anger over Chun's dictatorship led to massive nationwide protests in 1987, forcing him to accept a constitutional revision introducing direct presidential elections that is widely seen as the start of South Korea's transition to democracy.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
And that was anathema to the march of the dictatorships in the 20th century.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Meanwhile, in 2023, at a time when I was exhausted from the seeming futility of constantly writing and talking about it, fascism and the decline of democracy became popular topics in the mainstream media.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Talking to Deadline ahead of the screening, Loach says the conflict still resonates with the Left to this day as the first international fight against fascism.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Eight decades later, as nations inch toward despotism, an art animated by democratic impulses makes a stronger case for itself.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The hope is that the institutional reforms started by the interim administration of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus deliver the necessary checks and balances to avert another lurch toward despotism.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Once in office, Putin installed Vadim as an adviser to help consolidate his administration into an autocracy responsible for the suppression of civil liberties, for wars in Chechnya and Ukraine, and for a campaign of disinformation and interference in Western democracies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
If Magyar fails to fix the system and deliver results, a return to autocracy would be likely.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His parents’ experience living under totalitarianism shaped his outlook on the world.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Another totalitarianism, so recently an ally, was already on the march.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
This represents one major leap in the direction of authoritarianism — the president directly raiding the public coffers to enrich cronies, not just via his corrupt business dealings and pseudo-bribes from foreign governments, but straight up getting checks from the public treasury.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2026
-
One nerd sees a hopeful allegory about resisting authoritarianism.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
The result is the extreme polarization and absolutism.—
Andrew Cuomo,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
Iran’s ruling system is often described in political terms, but critics and former insiders say its core is far more radical — a belief structure rooted in religious absolutism, messianic expectation and a worldview that leaves little room for compromise.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyranny. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
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