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
The persecution worsened more than a decade ago during uprisings that remade the Middle East by toppling dictators — including Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak — but in some places spiraled into civil war.
—
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Movie lovers tend to think of producers as dictators of formulas, oppressors of originality, the enemies of art, but that just reflects the unfortunate history of studio filmmaking in Hollywood and elsewhere.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
These aren’t our only dictators.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Xi was flanked by Putin and Kim, two brutal and aggressive dictators whom many nations would rather shun.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
But wooing Western partners would likely involve some compromises that these dictators are probably unwilling to make.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
What To Know The portrait provoked reaction on social media, with some comparing the move to display it to those made by dictators.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
That is what happened for real to the wealthy in Communist or Socialist police states like China, Russia and North Korea where all, except the dictators, are treated equally—equally miserable.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Aug. 2025
But from the onset, the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere after the United States was beset by armed conflict, foreign interventions, repressive dictators, political violence, and heads of state whose personal ambitions and desire for power fanned instability and revolts.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
Movie lovers tend to think of producers as dictators of formulas, oppressors of originality, the enemies of art, but that just reflects the unfortunate history of studio filmmaking in Hollywood and elsewhere.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
These aren’t our only dictators.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Xi was flanked by Putin and Kim, two brutal and aggressive dictators whom many nations would rather shun.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
But wooing Western partners would likely involve some compromises that these dictators are probably unwilling to make.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
What To Know The portrait provoked reaction on social media, with some comparing the move to display it to those made by dictators.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025
That is what happened for real to the wealthy in Communist or Socialist police states like China, Russia and North Korea where all, except the dictators, are treated equally—equally miserable.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Aug. 2025
But from the onset, the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere after the United States was beset by armed conflict, foreign interventions, repressive dictators, political violence, and heads of state whose personal ambitions and desire for power fanned instability and revolts.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictators
tyrants
Noun
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And while the band's frontman Freddie Mercury only made it into his 40s, the song's question continues to haunt people—especially aging tyrants who fear that the icy hand of death is upon their shoulder and want far more time to ensure both national and personal glory.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
3 Sep. 2025
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But by positioning this as a story of a younger generation refusing to cede their liberties to tyrants, Loktev has made a film about resistance, putting a human face on the daily struggles concerned citizens must endure to take back their country.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictators. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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