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
And few in the greater Oz area are better at stirring up the populace, stoking their fears and angers, mongering their hate on behalf of a tyrant, better than Morrible.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
—ABC News, 16 Nov. 2025
Throughout history, humans had been ruled by tyrants and armies, without their consent.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
History’s smallest tyrants are hard to please.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
—ABC News, 16 Nov. 2025
Throughout history, humans had been ruled by tyrants and armies, without their consent.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
History’s smallest tyrants are hard to please.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrant
dictator
Noun
-
Since then, it has been linked to financial deals for dictators Manuel Noriega and Saddam Hussein, Islamic terrorist groups and government intelligence agencies including the CIA.—
Deena Sabry,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Hitler, the dictator who led Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was central in enacting the genocide of 6 million Jews.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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