repress

verb

ri-ˈpres How to pronounce repress (audio)
Definition of repressnext
1
as in to suppress
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force quickly repressed the rebellion in the provincial city and restored order

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stifle
to refrain from openly showing or uttering you can't repress your feelings forever, so tell her how you feel about her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 repress When elites are strong, dictators need to accommodate them, often by repressing outsiders to shield insiders from potential challenges. — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026 The government of husband-and-wife copresidents, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, has been carrying out an all-out crackdown on dissent since mass social protests in 2018 that the government violently repressed. — ABC News, 10 July 2026 Later in the month, tension around work health or availability is top of mind, while hidden feelings become more difficult to repress. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Normally, this modifier gene suppresses the creation of a second kind of hemoglobin, typically made only during fetal development; repressing the gene prompts cells to start making the fetal form of hemoglobin again, which acts as a backup. — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for repress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repress
  1. suppress
  2. stifle
  3. quell
  4. swallow
  5. subdue
Verb
  • Ukraine's air force said Russian forces launched several missiles and 106 drones into the country in its latest barrage, of which three missiles and 85 drones were shot down or otherwise suppressed.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Mulch also helps suppress weeds and dissuades strawberry pests like slugs.
    — Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of suppress
Verb
  • Elisabeth Wright Burak, a policy researcher at Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families, said Trump’s tax-and-spending law is stifling the momentum states had been gaining with maternal care since 2022.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Playing in the final group in stifling heat and the most wind all week, Scheffler matched the best score Sunday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of stifle
Verb
  • Here’s how to get your mismatched food containers organized and quell the cabinet chaos.
    — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Martha Stewart, 16 Aug. 2026
  • An 8-5 record in year one did little to quell those grumblings, and the recruiting was stagnating behind other SEC rivals like Alabama and LSU.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of quell
Verb
  • But his parents brought him back two days later, this time with fever, lethargy, a headache, and trouble swallowing.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Nowhere is the gap between noise and signal wider than in the obsession that has swallowed every other story, which is AI.
    — Nigel Morris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of swallow
Verb
  • Strait of Hormuz crossings remained uneventful over the past week as traffic remains subdued amid little progress in negotiations to reopen the vital oil conduit.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The tough-talking lawman said the 380-volt stun gloves would give Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents a useful tool to subdue detainees or protesters that resist their actions without opening fire on them.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of subdue

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represents
repress
repressed
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Cite this Entry

“Repress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repress. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on repress

Nglish: Translation of repress for Spanish Speakers

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