1
as in disciplinarians
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2
as in dictators
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Recent Examples of authoritarians
Not your grandma’s authoritarians Today’s authoritarian rulers realize that civil society has the potential to support democracy and pry loose their grip on power.
—
Christopher Justin Einolf, The Conversation, 26 Sep. 2025
Christopher Justin Einolf, The Conversation, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for authoritarians
Noun
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Some dictators go down fighting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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That’s what dictators want to do.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those historians were impressed by how much personal force the old tyrants could generate.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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The world is full of bad actors—cheats, liars, tyrants, sickos—who are, ultimately, mere human beings; at least, this was how rationality would have it.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As carry-on only travelers, Ryan and I are sticklers about efficient packing.—
Kristine Thomason,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Aug. 2025
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Regardless of what legal-ethics sticklers might think of its business model, the 156-person startup has been growing quickly.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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So what if the Engineers copied their own DNA to create humanity; how would the discovery of their existence further embolden the wealthy, who already see themselves as new gods, and drive further wedges between despots like the Five?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
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That’s reminiscent of what the despots of Eastern Europe did during the Cold War, building huge concrete apartment blocks with meager square-foot allotments per family.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Work is work, and there’s writerly reward, too, in daily encounters with a diverse range of taskmasters across all social groups.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In their place Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner have established themselves as the kings of the court, and the rest of the world consistently isn’t in their sphere.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Feb. 2026
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Backed by Spanish box office kings Bowfinger Intl.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Authoritarians.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/authoritarians. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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