as in families
a group of people who are related that maintain a powerful position for a long time
The latest heirs of the ruling dynasty have no interest in ceding their position of authority over the land.
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Recent Examples of dynasties
Unlike past budding dynasties, the Thunder haven’t established themselves as heroes or villains.
—
Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
The 34-year-old, who caused a major upset in the mayoral race last year by beating one of the biggest political dynasties in the city for the Democratic nomination, has had all eyes on his performance.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Under the Zia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, China developed advanced metallurgy techniques and, along with them, systems for managing them at scale.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
That’s where dynasties get made — or, more recently, get messed up.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
That’s how dynasties are built.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The Fugger family was once one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, building trading routes and lending money to Holy Roman Emperors and popes.
—Marton Eder, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Thompson was an instrumental piece of one of the greatest dynasties of the modern NBA.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
As late as the 1930s, scholars would misidentify the porcelain as produced by other dynasties.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
The 34-year-old, who caused a major upset in the mayoral race last year by beating one of the biggest political dynasties in the city for the Democratic nomination, has had all eyes on his performance.
—Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Under the Zia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, China developed advanced metallurgy techniques and, along with them, systems for managing them at scale.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
That’s where dynasties get made — or, more recently, get messed up.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
That’s how dynasties are built.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
The Fugger family was once one of Europe’s most influential banking dynasties, building trading routes and lending money to Holy Roman Emperors and popes.
—Marton Eder, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Thompson was an instrumental piece of one of the greatest dynasties of the modern NBA.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
As late as the 1930s, scholars would misidentify the porcelain as produced by other dynasties.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dynasties
Noun
-
The series is a deep dive into one of America’s most famous families, exploring the lives, relationships and defining moments that shaped the Kennedy dynasty.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Even relatively small debts — which often include interest — can place substantial burdens on families struggling to keep up with their bills, especially while dealing with a serious illness, patient advocates say.—
Noam N. Levey,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, the ruthless King Saran (Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor) has suppressed magic users and enacts a rule of terror, which Zelie hopes to end in order to reunite Orisha’s clans.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
After fighting to find their way back to one another, Henry and Julia were at the standing stones of Craig Na Dun, hoping to return to their own time, and Brian and Ellen’s romantic escape was interrupted as the 1715 Jacobite Rising began, thrusting the clans into war.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The houses are all under 400 square feet, some with a loft for more living space.—
Julie Z. Weil,
Washington Post,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The graffiti also alleged that one of the seven houses that was sprayed with paint was a brothel.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On April 21, 1526, a Central Asian prince named Babur defeated the Delhi sultanate ruler Ibrahim Lodi in India and laid the foundations of what would become one of the most important empires of early modern history—the Mughal Empire (1526–1857).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
-
And some have other, even more lucrative pieces of their empires, including merchandising, theme parks, hotels and cruise lines.—
Sarah Whitten,Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Single-source grants The legislative auditor’s report found that from July 2022 through December 2024, BHA paid out roughly $200 million annually to counties, tribes and providers for services related to mental health and substance abuse disorder, totaling some 830 separate grant agreements.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
19 Apr. 2026
-
It could be said that all 100 million acres of California were, at one time, the homes of the 100-plus tribes that are recognized now and the 50 or so seeking federal recognition.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Let’s run through the whole sordid inventory of critters who have had unusual encounters with Kennedy—including denizens of several different animal kingdoms.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The original Aegon was the first to unite the kingdoms of Westeros under one ruler.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dynasties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dynasties. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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