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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for martinet
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
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
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martinet
Noun
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But for so many Venezuelans, the sight of Maduro in shackles was about a tyrant facing justice.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Now Matt is in Nick Fury mode, assembling his own team capable of overthrowing this tyrant — hence the arrival of Ritter's wise-ass strongwoman sleuth who can drink all of Manhattan under the table.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Maduro — a left-wing authoritarian who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade while ignoring election results — was not just another foreign dictator.—
Dustin Olson,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, often described as Europe’s last dictator and a key ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has signed up.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mitevska also refuses to sanctify Mother Teresa more than necessary, instead portraying her as a strict disciplinarian who believed in organizational practicality as much as in the inherent holiness of children.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
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Considering his managers at Leeds included disciplinarians such as Wilkinson and George Graham, this was probably for the best.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Emery is a taskmaster but, along with countryman defender Pau Torres, Rogers is among his favourites in the Villa squad.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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In this Water sign, the taskmaster will expose emotional or spiritual fatigue, which asks us to build something honest and enduring rather than idealized and faulty.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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