as in tyrant
formal
a person who is very strict and demands obedience from others
The prison's warden was a cruel martinet.
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Recent Examples of martinet
The ex-principal of a private school recounts outwitting a troublesome parent—her state’s martinet governor, Brigadier (Hitler) Okon.
—
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Van Zweden, in turn, was a martinet specialist in the standards who seemed appealing as an about-face from Gilbert, less electric in the core repertory.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Awaiting them at the dock are the martinet of a hotel manager, Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), and her staff, putting on an air of practiced friendliness.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
The young princess’s father, born Prince Albert, was the excruciatingly shy, stuttering second son of the martinet King George V and the frigidly correct Queen Mary.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Van Zweden, in turn, was a martinet specialist in the standards who seemed appealing as an about-face from Gilbert, less electric in the core repertory.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Awaiting them at the dock are the martinet of a hotel manager, Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), and her staff, putting on an air of practiced friendliness.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
The young princess’s father, born Prince Albert, was the excruciatingly shy, stuttering second son of the martinet King George V and the frigidly correct Queen Mary.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martinet
Noun
-
President Trump is, once again, testing the limits of his power, hoping to intimidate other cities into submission to his every vengeful whim by making the once unimaginable—an American tyrant ordering a military occupation of our own capital—a terrifying reality.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
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Jack Nicholson’s McMurphy, a swaggering trickster figure, clashes with the institution’s quiet tyrant, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), in a battle not just of wills, but of worldviews: chaos versus order, freedom versus conformity.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
29 July 2025
Noun
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He was later toppled by a military coup in 1966, which was allegedly backed by the CIA, after he was cast as a dictator.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The retiring wrestler plays an ex-Special Forces operative who takes a gig escorting a journalist into the jungles of South America to interview a dictator.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
By several accounts, Xi was a ferocious disciplinarian.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
He was variously depicted as both a strict disciplinarian and also an emotionally intelligent father figure to the players.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
Provide coaching and mentorship so managers become inspiring guides rather than just taskmasters.—
Melanie Hughes,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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On July 13, taskmaster Saturn will station retrograde in Aries, presenting the opportunity to recalibrate and refocus.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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