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
Al-Sharaa’s historic trip to New York underscored his own transformation from militant to statesman, after leading the revolution to oust longtime Syrian strongman Bashar Assad in December.
—
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
Even so, Pineyro said there have been conversations with police in Doral about preparing for the possibility of large-scale celebrations in reaction to the possible ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
In the wake of this battlefield victory, Aliyev, who has been Azerbaijan’s strongman president since 2003, negotiated with Armenia on a peace agreement but seemed to be in no hurry to conclude it, confident that his country had the upper hand in the regional balance of power.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
This outcome would resemble what happened in Hungary after Viktor Orbán, another nationalist strongman, was elected as Prime Minister, in 2010.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
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Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Sep. 2025
Even so, Pineyro said there have been conversations with police in Doral about preparing for the possibility of large-scale celebrations in reaction to the possible ouster of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
In the wake of this battlefield victory, Aliyev, who has been Azerbaijan’s strongman president since 2003, negotiated with Armenia on a peace agreement but seemed to be in no hurry to conclude it, confident that his country had the upper hand in the regional balance of power.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 22 Sep. 2025
This outcome would resemble what happened in Hungary after Viktor Orbán, another nationalist strongman, was elected as Prime Minister, in 2010.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2025.
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