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overlord

noun

Definition of overlordnext
as in dictator

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overlord Militia commanders were already feeling slighted by their British overlords, and London’s stranglehold on trade and manufacturing caused still more resentment. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 The story line has nothing to do with Queen but instead centers on a tale about rebel Earthlings overthrowing their cruel overlords. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 Yes, other Hollywood depictions of the future had predicted similar technology over the years, but guess what year Apple overlord Steve Jobs announced the breakthrough videotelephony product known as FaceTime? — Dan Snierson, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026 Some tech observers think that the Palantir overlord sees the end times coming, but his real motivation is likely much more mundane and self-interested. — David Futrelle, Washington Post, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlord
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlord
  1. dictator
  2. tyrant
  3. despot
  4. king
  5. emperor
  6. prince
  7. authoritarian
  8. satrap
Noun
  • Well, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and I often argue, jokingly, about which of us is the bigger dictator.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Ovechkin, who turns 41 on Thursday — the same day the Capitals open training camp — has long been a public supporter of Putin, the de facto dictator whose authoritarian regime has overseen a full-scale war with neighboring Ukraine since 2022.
    — Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of dictator
Noun
  • Plato warned that an unhealthy democracy can easily fall prey to a tyrant.
    — Kenneth Michael White, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the rumors, and a few of the reports at the time, paint Khrzhanovsky as a tyrant who went mad with power, like Colonel Kurtz in Heart of Darkness (or maybe Francis Ford Coppola making Apocalypse Now).
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyrant
Noun
  • Like in Vegas, where Elwood was babysitting the son of a despot.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Nevermind that by this stage the 48-year-old despot had a seeping abscess on his left leg and could barely walk.
    — Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of despot
Noun
  • But with the king issuing guidance that establishes the Sussexes firmly as private citizens, has the relationship been impacted for the worse?
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, those of us who are both excited and nervous about the promise of AI welcome the prospect of kings and clerics and populist politicians alike standing up to the tech lords — who, frankly, could use some perspectives other than their own.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • There will be no more messing around with draggy eye pencils or the emperor’s new eye shadows.
    — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Jingdezhen’s Imperial Kiln Institute researches and restores ceramics excavated from an adjacent complex, where pieces for emperors were crafted in kilns whose remains are still visible today.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of emperor
Noun
  • Fictional princes fill pop culture, from heroic leaders in science fiction empires to charming ones in modern takes on classic fairy tales.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
  • At the same summit, Iran’s president met the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of prince
Noun
  • This was demonstrated in Hungary in April, when opposition leader Péter Magyar convincingly won an election against a long-ruling, right-wing authoritarian.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2026
  • And the solution is simply to replace the corrupt, racist authoritarian with a governing party that respects the rule of law, equality, and basic decency.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Noun
  • The ranks of the leadership are staffed, in large measure, with satraps and mediocrities.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
  • The quick collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satraps unsettled both nations.
    — Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Definition of satrap

Browse Nearby Words

overlooks
overlord
overlords
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Cite this Entry

“Overlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlord. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on overlord

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about overlord

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