strongman

noun

strong·​man ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman 

: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods

Synonyms of strongman

• dictator
• tyrant

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

The United States’ new top diplomat in Venezuela arrived in Caracas on Thursday, taking over at a pivotal moment in Washington’s push to stabilize and reshape the South American nation following the dramatic capture of former strongman Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. —Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026

After 16 years, Hungarians had voted their strongman leader, Viktor Orbán, out of office. —Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026

Someone with a different view of the strongman’s education crackdown is Vice President JD Vance, who was in Hungary this week trying to boost Orbán’s flagging polls ahead of a crucial election Sunday. —Alexander Smith, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026

Trump’s social media post echoed comments made by guest Michael Lee, who was championing the role Palantir’s technology played in the raid to capture Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for strongman

• afghan
• bedpan
• began
• caveman
• chapin
• crankpin
• cyan
• deadpan
• dextran
• divan
• doorman
• fishman