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
The Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has been removed from power—captured in the dead of night and arraigned before an American judge.
—
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The leader, a dictator, has been taken by force.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2026
How much more can the American people endure from this dictator?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The leader, a dictator, has been taken by force.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Jan. 2026
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 9 Jan. 2026
How much more can the American people endure from this dictator?
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
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But for so many Venezuelans, the sight of Maduro in shackles was about a tyrant facing justice.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Now Matt is in Nick Fury mode, assembling his own team capable of overthrowing this tyrant — hence the arrival of Ritter's wise-ass strongwoman sleuth who can drink all of Manhattan under the table.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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