Definition of strongman
: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods
From the M-W Editors
Examples of strongman in a Sentence
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
Recent Examples of strongman from the Web
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With emotions running high after the clashes, there were fears that political strongmen might try to take advantage of the anger produced by the bombing deaths to move against the government.
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The 47-year-old head of state, who stepped down from a three-year stint as premier Tuesday and once worked for late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, is switching posts after a landslide election victory.
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Conflicting reports had the resilient strongman still directing his battered forces, or hiding in a Panamanian or Colombian jungle outpost, or seeking asylum in the Cuban or Nicaraguan embassies in Panama City.
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While some US allies, like Saudi Arabia and Israel, gravitated toward his strongman leadership style, others, principally in Europe, have been horrified.
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In modern times, relations with Muslims have been generally good, although changes started to come about since the hyper-nationalism of the 1950s stoked by military strongman Gamal Abdel-Nasser.
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Muammar el-Qaddafi, the country’s longtime strongman.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strongman'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1859
First Known Use of strongman
1859
STRONGMAN Defined for English Language Learners
strongman
playDefinition of strongman for English Language Learners
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: a politician or leader who uses violence or threats
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: a man who performs in a circus and who is very strong
Learn More about strongman
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See words that rhyme with strongman Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for strongman Britannica English: Translation of strongman for Arabic speakers
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