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
Early Saturday morning, the United States carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela’s socialist regime and captured the strongman Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.
—
Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Venezuela has its own complex political ecosystem, one that does not simply default to the opposition the moment the strongman is removed.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 3 Jan. 2026
Every strongman and would-be strongman in power today will be dead, at some point.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Across the globe, attacks by governments on journalists criticizing strongman leaders become more brazen.
—Kate Kenny, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strongman
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Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Venezuela has its own complex political ecosystem, one that does not simply default to the opposition the moment the strongman is removed.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 3 Jan. 2026
Every strongman and would-be strongman in power today will be dead, at some point.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Across the globe, attacks by governments on journalists criticizing strongman leaders become more brazen.
—Kate Kenny, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 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 4 Jan. 2026.
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