robber baron
noun
1
: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
2
: a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics
Examples of robber baron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In September, Spector appeared in a Mamdani ad channeling his robber baron character from HBO’s The Gilded Age to perform a dramatic reading of a New York Times story about how the rich in the Hamptons are reacting to the Democratic nominee.
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Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The robber barons and telecom wildcatters borrowed to build their empires, and dragged their financiers down with them when the music stopped.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The show picks up threads from Downton, taking place in America in the late 19th century, in the age of the robber barons.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
Some may argue that today’s tech companies are more of a threat to the world than the 1890s robber barons.
—Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for robber baron
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Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
The robber barons and telecom wildcatters borrowed to build their empires, and dragged their financiers down with them when the music stopped.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025
The show picks up threads from Downton, taking place in America in the late 19th century, in the age of the robber barons.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2025
Some may argue that today’s tech companies are more of a threat to the world than the 1890s robber barons.
—Jamie Merisotis, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for robber baron
Cite this Entry
“Robber baron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robber%20baron. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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