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 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
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
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
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
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So, the politicians must do more than push back against the White House tyrant.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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Her party, the Brothers of Italy, was founded by followers of former dictator Benito Mussolini as a post-fascist movement following WWII.—
Dan Gooding
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For Machado and the Venezuelan opposition, embracing a narrative in which Maduro is a drug lord, not just a dictator, is a bit of a gamble.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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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By several accounts, Xi was a ferocious disciplinarian.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The mercurial chef was a stern taskmaster who demanded the absolute best from everyone who worked for him.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Work is work, and there’s writerly reward, too, in daily encounters with a diverse range of taskmasters across all social groups.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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