as in magnates
a person of rank, power, or influence in a particular field
a media baron who owns newspapers, television and radio stations, and even several cable networks
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Recent Examples of barons
The land was donated to the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the 1950s by descendants of one of the city’s early oil barons.
—
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Past Lord Wardens include barons, earls, princes, and future kings.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
And, lately, the country’s ultrarich have been behaving like modern-day land barons, quietly assembling empires measured not just in acres but in square miles and state sizes.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
In the early 1900s, the region launched Neiman Marcus, a luxury store that catered to the tastes of local cotton and oil barons.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In the early 20th century, European rubber barons enslaved Indigenous people to harvest the valuable gum.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Sheridan’s shows tend to be ensemble showcases, making this tale of Texas oil barons a serious contender here.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
In two years, the Buffs have hopped from the land of tech bros (the old Pac-12) to a conference of oil barons (the Big 12) who swim in fast cash and Texas tea.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
But the economic upswing in Germany is not shared by steel and coal workers in the Ruhr area, where strikes for fair wages and a shortening of the sixty-hour work week prompt steel barons to order massive lockouts and layoffs.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Past Lord Wardens include barons, earls, princes, and future kings.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026
And, lately, the country’s ultrarich have been behaving like modern-day land barons, quietly assembling empires measured not just in acres but in square miles and state sizes.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
In the early 1900s, the region launched Neiman Marcus, a luxury store that catered to the tastes of local cotton and oil barons.
—Trevor Bach, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
In the early 20th century, European rubber barons enslaved Indigenous people to harvest the valuable gum.
—Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
Sheridan’s shows tend to be ensemble showcases, making this tale of Texas oil barons a serious contender here.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
In two years, the Buffs have hopped from the land of tech bros (the old Pac-12) to a conference of oil barons (the Big 12) who swim in fast cash and Texas tea.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
But the economic upswing in Germany is not shared by steel and coal workers in the Ruhr area, where strikes for fair wages and a shortening of the sixty-hour work week prompt steel barons to order massive lockouts and layoffs.
—Literary Hub, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barons
Noun
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In its sophomore season, Cross is in pursuit of a ruthless vigilante who is hunting down corrupt billionaire magnates.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Feb. 2026
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During the 2021 recall fight, Newsom also attracted high-profile billionaire support from Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, and agribusiness magnates Stewart and Lynda Resnick.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But where does Ted Turner live now that other tycoons have bought up enough acreage to surpass his record?—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
6 Feb. 2026
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During the Cannes Film Festival, tycoons and oligarchs feature on the guest list, rubbing shoulders with high-profile celebrities who relax with croquet games between press junkets.—
Mary Winston Nicklin,
AFAR Media,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barons. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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