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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dictator
Who's the dictator, and then who dictated him or her?
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
But there is the recent example of Syria where, following the ouster of long-term dictator Bashar Assad, the main Islamist fighting group pivoted to politics – and was lauded in the international community for doing so.
—Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2025
The author understood how power works, and the lengths that people, classes, political parties and dictators would go to keep it.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
The only thing a dictator loves is themselves.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
But there is the recent example of Syria where, following the ouster of long-term dictator Bashar Assad, the main Islamist fighting group pivoted to politics – and was lauded in the international community for doing so.
—Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2025
The author understood how power works, and the lengths that people, classes, political parties and dictators would go to keep it.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025
The only thing a dictator loves is themselves.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
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So how should CHROs and other talent leaders handle reports of an office tyrant?—
Susan Caminiti,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
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Bring the Paine The only thing Paine liked less than monarchical rule was its enablers, anyone who relinquished their freedom willingly to an aspiring tyrant.—
Matthew Redmond,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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