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
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Class distinctions are made plain by the difference in how wealthy robber baron families and their staff members live; multiple stories are being told at once, holding nuances across race, class, and gender under a single roof.
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Evan Nicole Brown, Architectural Digest, 25 July 2025
Not trophy assets but entire trophy cabinets—many of which, curiously, were once owned by the great robber barons of the 19th and 20th centuries, and almost all of which have a knack for irking neighbors with their various adjustments, demolitions, and surgical tweaks.
—Chop Choppish Shop, Air Mail, 14 June 2025
One of its titans, the robber baron George Russell (Morgan Spector), envisions an express line that will enable cross-country transport at an unprecedented pace.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
In the third season of HBO’s The Gilded Age, a frothy costume drama set amid the robber barons and socialites of 1880s New York, a servant suddenly comes into money.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 June 2025
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Evan Nicole Brown, Architectural Digest, 25 July 2025
Not trophy assets but entire trophy cabinets—many of which, curiously, were once owned by the great robber barons of the 19th and 20th centuries, and almost all of which have a knack for irking neighbors with their various adjustments, demolitions, and surgical tweaks.
—Chop Choppish Shop, Air Mail, 14 June 2025
One of its titans, the robber baron George Russell (Morgan Spector), envisions an express line that will enable cross-country transport at an unprecedented pace.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
In the third season of HBO’s The Gilded Age, a frothy costume drama set amid the robber barons and socialites of 1880s New York, a servant suddenly comes into money.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 June 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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