strongman
noun
strong·man
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman 
: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods
Examples of strongman in a Sentence
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
Recent Examples on the Web
After Russian strongman Ivan Drago beats Rocky’s best friend to death in an exhibition bout, Rocky moves to the Soviet Union to train, running in the snow and even climbing a mountain to outrun the demon on his back.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, Israel has advanced its own strategy to fragment the social fabric, including by backing and arming an anti-Hamas militia in Rafah controlled by Yasser Abu Shabab, a strongman and drug trafficker who escaped from a Hamas prison in October 2023 and who also has ties to Fatah.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
The last thing needed in Chicago, which isn’t as economically healthy as Washington was prior to Trump’s strongman maneuvers, is discouraging more people from patronizing bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other attractions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
But just as much as his role in the Ukraine war or the Middle East, his efforts at strongman diplomacy are another indication of the abrupt shift away from a postwar liberal world order in which institutions and international law—in theory if not practice—took precedence over pure might.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strongman
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Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Meanwhile, Israel has advanced its own strategy to fragment the social fabric, including by backing and arming an anti-Hamas militia in Rafah controlled by Yasser Abu Shabab, a strongman and drug trafficker who escaped from a Hamas prison in October 2023 and who also has ties to Fatah.
—Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025
The last thing needed in Chicago, which isn’t as economically healthy as Washington was prior to Trump’s strongman maneuvers, is discouraging more people from patronizing bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other attractions.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
But just as much as his role in the Ukraine war or the Middle East, his efforts at strongman diplomacy are another indication of the abrupt shift away from a postwar liberal world order in which institutions and international law—in theory if not practice—took precedence over pure might.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.
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