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 a surprise, landslide electoral defeat brought down longtime strongman Viktor Orbán last month, there’s a breath of new life in the Hungarian film industry.
—
Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026
Loyal sidekick The police officer rose to fame thanks to his close relationship with the strongman leader, who ruled the Philippines with an iron fist from 2016 to 2022, a period marked by the brutal war on drugs.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
In the vacuum left by absent landlords and ineffective courts, communities turned instead to local strongmen—enforcers who offered protection for a price.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 May 2026
Just beyond the respectable edges of Paris, among the soothsayers and strongmen, works Suzanne (Anaïs Demoustier).
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
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Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026
Loyal sidekick The police officer rose to fame thanks to his close relationship with the strongman leader, who ruled the Philippines with an iron fist from 2016 to 2022, a period marked by the brutal war on drugs.
—Kathleen Magramo, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
In the vacuum left by absent landlords and ineffective courts, communities turned instead to local strongmen—enforcers who offered protection for a price.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 May 2026
Just beyond the respectable edges of Paris, among the soothsayers and strongmen, works Suzanne (Anaïs Demoustier).
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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