robber baron
noun
1
: an American capitalist of the latter part of the 19th century who became wealthy through exploitation (as of natural resources, governmental influence, or low wage scales)
2
: a business owner or executive who acquires wealth through ethically questionable tactics
Examples of robber baron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Set in the Upper East Side mansion where the robber baron himself once lived, the museum exudes old-world charm.
—
Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
More than a century ago, the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The Gilded Age, the robber barons, and the Wall Street crash of 1929 had driven home concerns that concentrated economic power resulted in concentrated political power, which in turn threatened democracy itself.
—Katherine Tai, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2025
Authenticity was hot, hot, hot: the Rothschilds who hired Samson had been satisfied with shiny new furniture in the style of the eighteenth century, but the robber barons adding to Asher’s fortune wanted to pad their pedigrees with originals.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
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Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
More than a century ago, the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts.
—The New York Times, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
The Gilded Age, the robber barons, and the Wall Street crash of 1929 had driven home concerns that concentrated economic power resulted in concentrated political power, which in turn threatened democracy itself.
—Katherine Tai, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2025
Authenticity was hot, hot, hot: the Rothschilds who hired Samson had been satisfied with shiny new furniture in the style of the eighteenth century, but the robber barons adding to Asher’s fortune wanted to pad their pedigrees with originals.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for robber baron
Cite this Entry
“Robber baron.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/robber%20baron. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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