as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
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Recent Examples of dictator
Diplomatic relations between the countries have steadily improved since the January capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
—
Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
The conversation then moved on to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
During the Iraq War, the popular narrative was that our heroic soldiers and marines were going in to liberate the people, free women, and topple a brutal dictator—the same nonsense we are fed now about Iran.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Now, is that the same as a soldier betting on the capture of a vicious dictator?
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2026
The conversation then moved on to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 29 Apr. 2026
During the Iraq War, the popular narrative was that our heroic soldiers and marines were going in to liberate the people, free women, and topple a brutal dictator—the same nonsense we are fed now about Iran.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Now, is that the same as a soldier betting on the capture of a vicious dictator?
—Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
-
The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The cold indifference of history buried that grandiose tyrant in the oblivion of the desert — a haunting reminder that even the most grandiose of leaders are but fleeting shadows in the long arc of history.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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