satrap

noun

Definition of satrapnext
as in Caesar

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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 satrap 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 The Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is viewed largely as the Kremlin’s docile satrap. — Valerie Hopkins, BostonGlobe.com, 25 June 2023 By contrast, given Russia's dominant role in the CU, joining that group would transform Yanukovych into a satrap of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, whom Yanukovych regards as the avatar of Russian arrogance. — Rajan Menon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for satrap
  1. emperor
  2. king
  3. prince
  4. suzerain
  5. sultan
  6. empress
  7. princess
  8. emir
Noun
  • Failing to recognize that flaw has been the downfall of emperors and autocrats.
    — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Along the route taken by tourists and pilgrims are several steles marking ritual proclamations made on behalf of emperors during the first year of each reign.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of emperor
Noun
  • William will one day be king, with a formal role in the Church of England.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Muñoz noted in his manuscript that the telescope belonged to the king and was made by Galileo.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • That reduction forced painful cuts to Vision 2030, the prince’s signature policy aimed at remaking Saudi Arabia.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Other schemes are more direct—like a new version of the Nigerian prince scam that uses celebrity deepfakes.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of prince
Noun
  • Citizens of countries historically exploited by the West face higher financial and bureaucratic hurdles to access facilities and resources concentrated in their former suzerain.
    — WIRED, WIRED, 26 Aug. 2022
  • In buttressing Lukashenko’s regime, Russia became Belarus’s outright suzerain.
    — Casey Michel, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2022
Definition of suzerain
Noun
  • The story ranges from Chicago's tenement slums to the private mansions of the president of the United States and the sultan of Morocco.
    — Paul Dailing, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Prince Khālid ibn Barghash, Ḥamad’s cousin, moved himself into the palace and took the title of sultan while Ḥamad’s body was still warm.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of sultan
Noun
  • Modern Queen Farah Pahlavi served as the last empress of Iran and became known for her advocacy of education, culture, and the arts.
    — Liz Regalia, Parents, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Chikankari is a delicate embroidery technique that goes back to the 17th century, when the Mughal empress Nur Jahan introduced it to India.
    — Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of empress
Noun
  • Alexander, who performs as the Black Disney princess, Tiana, had another appearance immediately before the photo shoot and didn’t have enough time to change.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone, please please please, sit up straight and act right, because pop princess Sabrina Carpenter has arrived for the MTV VMAs 2026 on September 27.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of princess
Noun
  • The leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, traveled to Kuwait immediately after the Iranian attack for a meeting with the small, oil-rich nation's ruling emir.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 July 2026
  • The leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, traveled to Kuwait immediately after the Iranian attack for a meeting with the small, oil-rich nation’s ruling emir.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of emir

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Cite this Entry

“Satrap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/satrap. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on satrap

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about satrap

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