oppressive

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“One of the interesting things about L.A. was, when I moved there, I couldn’t really blame the city anymore because I wasn’t in an oppressive place,” he remembers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

She said: "What if we are left with ruins and the same mullahs and the same government? Only more oppressive and more defiant?"

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

We can and should hope for a better outcome for Iranians than for Iraqis: freedom from an oppressive regime, minimal death and destruction, a smooth democratic transition, a functional democracy, a peaceful and prosperous society.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

And the dominant instinct in India is to tinker with onerous rules to make them somewhat less oppressive rather than attempt a sweeping overhaul.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Franklin’s ancestors may have emigrated from Europe to escape oppressive rules, but colonial societies were still vastly more coercive and class- ridden than indigenous villages.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann