as in tyrants
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of dictators
Will people who flee dictators and endless poverty be permitted lawfully to cross America’s shores and borders in search of a better life?
—
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.
—
Jon Root Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Blatter also suggested that Infantino, like a lot of dictators, has started acting withdrawn.
—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
But would-be and actual dictators do tend to follow a common set of strategies to consolidate power.
—
Christopher Justin Einolf,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
The opportunity to interview these people would never have been turned down by other organizations, but there was also a sense that these dictators and terrorists and authoritarians were realizing that CNN were giving them this unfiltered platform to speak to the American people.
—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Even under military threat, many dictators and authoritarian leaders — Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia, Bashar al-Assad in Syria and earlier this year, Maduro in Venezuela — have chosen resistance until the last minute.
—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Years later, as Ukraine fights a war to defend its democracy — to preserve a state where institutions serve the people rather than dictators, where the press remains independent, and where citizens can shape the politics around them — the contrast between the two countries is striking.
—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
Five private chefs to fearsome dictators all over the world share their experiences of the kitchens and circumstances that led them to these sometimes dangerous and often morally compromising workplaces.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.
—
Jon Root Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
Blatter also suggested that Infantino, like a lot of dictators, has started acting withdrawn.
—
Chris Jones,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
But would-be and actual dictators do tend to follow a common set of strategies to consolidate power.
—
Christopher Justin Einolf,
The Conversation,
22 May 2026
The opportunity to interview these people would never have been turned down by other organizations, but there was also a sense that these dictators and terrorists and authoritarians were realizing that CNN were giving them this unfiltered platform to speak to the American people.
—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Even under military threat, many dictators and authoritarian leaders — Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia, Bashar al-Assad in Syria and earlier this year, Maduro in Venezuela — have chosen resistance until the last minute.
—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Years later, as Ukraine fights a war to defend its democracy — to preserve a state where institutions serve the people rather than dictators, where the press remains independent, and where citizens can shape the politics around them — the contrast between the two countries is striking.
—
Nataliya Gumenyuk,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
Five private chefs to fearsome dictators all over the world share their experiences of the kitchens and circumstances that led them to these sometimes dangerous and often morally compromising workplaces.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictators
tyrants
Noun
-
Aegon, dragged out of King’s Landing by spymaster Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) in an effort to save him from the fratricidal Aemond, gets an up-close look at the petty tyrants who have sprouted up in the countryside thanks to his impetuous rule.
-
Examples range from businesses like Enron, Tyco, and Bernie Madoff, along with historical tyrants like Stalin or Hitler to modern figures like Putin, and industries like tobacco that knowingly harm users for profit.
Cite this Entry
“Dictators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictators. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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