repress, well, now, in the first place, push, shove, press, seal, do in spite of
抑 centers on holding something back or keeping it under control: repressing, pressing down, or sealing. The meanings 'well', 'now', 'in the first place', and 'do in spite of' are grammatical uses that grow from the idea of pausing or restraining the flow of a sentence.
抑 combines 扌 (hand) with 卬, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of pressing or bending down. The modern form keeps this hand-pressing image.
A hand 扌 pressing down on something that looks like a bent figure 卬: the hand is repressing and sealing it in place.
For ヨク, imagine using a yoke to press down and restrain an ox: yoke -> ヨク, and the hand holds the yoke firmly.
weight (e.g. paperweight); pressing down
control; restraint; suppression; constraint; curtailment; inhibition; check; curb
to keep within limits (e.g. spending); to restrain (e.g. emotions); to control; to curb; to hold in check
check; restraint; oppression; suppression
keeping in check; holding back; deterrence; restraint; suppression
internment; detainment; detention
intonation; accent; modulation; inflection
after all; anyway; actually; well, ...; ... on earth (e.g. "what on earth?"); ... in the world (e.g. "why in the world?")
detention (and use as forced labor) of Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia after World War II
zero suppression
Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons
prior restraint
population control
suppression of human rights
immunosuppressant (drug)
nonprint function
pressure suppression (e.g. pool, container in a nuclear power plant)
pressure suppression pool (nuclear reactor)
suppression pool (nuclear reactor); pressure suppression chamber
check; restraint; oppression; suppression