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
But just as much as his role in the Ukraine war or the Middle East, his efforts at strongman diplomacy are another indication of the abrupt shift away from a postwar liberal world order in which institutions and international law—in theory if not practice—took precedence over pure might.
—
Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
This backward-spooling collapse into strongman interventionism is the result of Congress’s baseline failure to shield its own constitutional powers.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
And this matters now more than ever, during a time when universities are dismantling their humanities programs and being pressured into pandering to authoritarian strongmen.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
In addition to the arrest warrant, the Russian strongman might have trouble flying over Europe and Canada, both of which have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
This backward-spooling collapse into strongman interventionism is the result of Congress’s baseline failure to shield its own constitutional powers.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
And this matters now more than ever, during a time when universities are dismantling their humanities programs and being pressured into pandering to authoritarian strongmen.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
In addition to the arrest warrant, the Russian strongman might have trouble flying over Europe and Canada, both of which have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strongman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongman
Noun
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Xi was flanked by Putin and Kim, two brutal and aggressive dictators whom many nations would rather shun.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Cawthorn’s fascination with German dictator Adolf Hitler was well-documented on his social media accounts, and his opponents tried to use that against him in the general election.—
Danielle Battaglia,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So, the politicians must do more than push back against the White House tyrant.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
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And while the band's frontman Freddie Mercury only made it into his 40s, the song's question continues to haunt people—especially aging tyrants who fear that the icy hand of death is upon their shoulder and want far more time to ensure both national and personal glory.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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