as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strongman
In 28 Days Later, Jim faced a strongman of his own in the form of Christopher Eccleston’s Major Henry West, surviving through the creation of a new family unit with Selena (Naomie Harris) and Hannah (Megan Burns).
—
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
There is a strain in the electorate that is eager for a strongman, a decisive leader who will act, make deals and be true to his convictions.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
But Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister and Chavismo’s strongman, still controls the security forces and the colectivos, the paramilitary gangs that terrorize the population.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
There is a strain in the electorate that is eager for a strongman, a decisive leader who will act, make deals and be true to his convictions.
—Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
But Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister and Chavismo’s strongman, still controls the security forces and the colectivos, the paramilitary gangs that terrorize the population.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 12 Jan. 2026
For most of the first half of the 20th century, military strongmen ruled Venezuela and promoted the oil industry while allowing some social reforms.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongman
Noun
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Maduro — a left-wing authoritarian who ruled Venezuela for more than a decade while ignoring election results — was not just another foreign dictator.—
Dustin Olson,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
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Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, often described as Europe’s last dictator and a key ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has signed up.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But for so many Venezuelans, the sight of Maduro in shackles was about a tyrant facing justice.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Now Matt is in Nick Fury mode, assembling his own team capable of overthrowing this tyrant — hence the arrival of Ritter's wise-ass strongwoman sleuth who can drink all of Manhattan under the table.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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