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
-
Knowing that the tyrants in the Kremlin approved all these activities does not negate their positive impact on American society.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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Although Pancho Villa was considered by many Mexicans a hero of that revolution, my great-grandfather regarded him as a tyrant who forced Indigenous people into battle, treating them as little more than cannon fodder.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
He had been found guilty of conspiring to raise funds from late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to finance his campaign, and became the first post-World War II leader in France to go to jail.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
-
These deployments are nothing more than partisan spite from an increasingly unhinged aspiring dictator, and the Supreme Court must halt them.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
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
-
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
-
In Pisces, the taskmaster teaches us how to dream without delusion, and how to love without losing ourselves in the process.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Cancer is a tough taskmaster, and doctors didn’t detect it early enough.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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