as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the people universally feared the tyrant, who was notorious for his frequent use of torture
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Recent Examples of tyrant
West Canaan Coyotes coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is a racist tyrant who pushes his players past their limit in order to win.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
When a tyrant falls, we may be tempted to imagine a final moment of tragic self-awareness—a personal reckoning, like Oedipus blinding himself, or Macbeth raging on the heath.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
—Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Feingold saw gaps in the legislation that a would-be tyrant could easily exploit.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
When a tyrant falls, we may be tempted to imagine a final moment of tragic self-awareness—a personal reckoning, like Oedipus blinding himself, or Macbeth raging on the heath.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Ruling like a petty tyrant from the company’s headquarters in lower Manhattan, Coplan isn’t an easy boss to work with, according to new reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
—Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4, Futurism, 4 Feb. 2026
Feingold saw gaps in the legislation that a would-be tyrant could easily exploit.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrant
dictator
Noun
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Video showed a man attempting to pull down a poster of the dictator — killed last week in an Israeli airstrike — when a man wearing a SpongeBob sweatshirt punched him in the face, sending him to the ground.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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