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
And then there’s the U.S. Army officer who succeeds in apprehending Perfidia: Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, played in a graying military fade, with some fur on top and a martinet scowl, by Sean Penn.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
But Muir’s co-moderator, Linsey Davis, was a different case: Davis wore a mannish, gray suit jacket and struck a pose of martinet — almost schoolmarmish — solemnity.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Sep. 2024
There’s Cece’s father, long vanished; Ronnie, a predator; Marcel, a martinet; Joel, a manipulator; and a random catcaller in the street, whom Cece sends scurrying away by turning her acting skills to practical use.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The patriarch of the soccer clan, Joe Morrone was known for his rigor, passion, sometimes showing itself on the sidelines in the form clipboards shattered over his knee, but the martinet had a gentler side as the grandfather to a young player — at least to some degree.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2025
But Muir’s co-moderator, Linsey Davis, was a different case: Davis wore a mannish, gray suit jacket and struck a pose of martinet — almost schoolmarmish — solemnity.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Sep. 2024
There’s Cece’s father, long vanished; Ronnie, a predator; Marcel, a martinet; Joel, a manipulator; and a random catcaller in the street, whom Cece sends scurrying away by turning her acting skills to practical use.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The patriarch of the soccer clan, Joe Morrone was known for his rigor, passion, sometimes showing itself on the sidelines in the form clipboards shattered over his knee, but the martinet had a gentler side as the grandfather to a young player — at least to some degree.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martinet
Noun
-
Jersey, a single mom, isn’t a tyrant.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Not that Eisenhower, to be fair, is presented here as quite such a tyrant.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Italy’s triumph over Czechoslovakia in the 1934 final which strengthened the regime of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, for example.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
You are asked to be teachers, counselors, social workers, disciplinarians, mentors, advocates, crisis managers and emotional anchors for children navigating an increasingly complicated world.—
Susana A. Mendoza,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
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Early in the film, as Joe was assembling the Jackson 5 with Michael and his brothers, Joe is depicted as a harsh disciplinarian who brutally beats young Michael with a belt.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
She is thrown into isolation before getting the opportunity to once again assimilate, Marc is a genuine taskmaster, but a dedicated defender publicly and to the cops about the legitimacy of his operation and its residents.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
Embree was never an in-your-face taskmaster.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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