1
as in cliques
a small group of people who exercise control over a country, business, etc.
Critics complain that the government is now dominated by an oligarchy of wealthy businesspeople.
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2
as in empires
government that is controlled by a small group of people
The nation was an oligarchy with election results manipulated to maintain a permanent ruling class.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for oligarchies
Noun
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Neither wants to navigate the cliques and social politics of this messy consolidated school.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026 -
Instead, the researchers think the violence stemmed from a breakdown of friendships and escalations between cliques and rivals.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On April 21, 1526, a Central Asian prince named Babur defeated the Delhi sultanate ruler Ibrahim Lodi in India and laid the foundations of what would become one of the most important empires of early modern history—the Mughal Empire (1526–1857).—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
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And some have other, even more lucrative pieces of their empires, including merchandising, theme parks, hotels and cruise lines.—
Sarah Whitten,Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The tri-border area has long been a hotbed for extremist violence, a trend worsened by the lack of security cooperation with Niger and Burkina Faso, both now led by military juntas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Apr. 2026
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Look no further than airstrikes in Nigeria, travel bans on 29 countries, and chummy alliances with military juntas.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 18,
Futurism,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Gerontocracy has always thrived in undemocratic places—Communist people’s republics, Gulf monarchies—where only death could pry power from the ruling elders.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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The primary strategic target of the declaration was the Bourbon monarchies of France and Spain, Britain’s chief rivals.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Oligarchies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/oligarchies. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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