often capitalized
: a sovereign of Iran
Examples of shah in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taken together, the dynamic with Iran is more complex than at any point since the seizure of the American Embassy in 1979 after the overthrow of the shah.
—
Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024
Many of the Islamist and leftist Iranian revolutionaries who toppled the shah drew inspiration from Palestinian writers and fighters.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2023
Remember that Ayatollah Khomeini followed the shah of Iran and that anarchy followed Qaddafi.
—Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2023
No nation conducted shrewder diplomacy with the Islamic Republic than China, despite its former support for the shah’s regime.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
In August 1978, China’s leader, Hua Guofeng, even visited Tehran and expressed solidarity with the beleaguered shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
The shah exiled himself in January, personally piloting a Boeing 707 out of the country.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023
The New York Times reported in 1981 that those calling for the shah’s entry had misled President Carter by exaggerating the urgency of his medical problems.
—Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
But when the shah of Iran, for his own reasons, decided to settle a border dispute with Iraq and withdraw his support in 1975, Kissinger did nothing as Iraqi forces brutalized the Kurds.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Dec. 2023
Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024
Many of the Islamist and leftist Iranian revolutionaries who toppled the shah drew inspiration from Palestinian writers and fighters.
—Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2023
Remember that Ayatollah Khomeini followed the shah of Iran and that anarchy followed Qaddafi.
—Max Boot, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2023
No nation conducted shrewder diplomacy with the Islamic Republic than China, despite its former support for the shah’s regime.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
In August 1978, China’s leader, Hua Guofeng, even visited Tehran and expressed solidarity with the beleaguered shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
The shah exiled himself in January, personally piloting a Boeing 707 out of the country.
—Ian Shapira, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2023
The New York Times reported in 1981 that those calling for the shah’s entry had misled President Carter by exaggerating the urgency of his medical problems.
—Jacob Bernstein, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023
But when the shah of Iran, for his own reasons, decided to settle a border dispute with Iraq and withdraw his support in 1975, Kissinger did nothing as Iraqi forces brutalized the Kurds.
—Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shah.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Shah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shah. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shah
noun
ˈshä 
ˈshȯ
: a ruler of Iran until the 1979 revolution
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