strongman

noun

strong·​man ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman How to pronounce strongman (audio)
: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods

Examples of strongman in a Sentence

a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 Trump's sit-down with Putin on Friday will be the first time a U.S. president has met with the Russian strongman since June 2021, when then-President Joe Biden encountered him at a bilateral summit. Sonam Sheth, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025 Bondi’s remarks to Spanish language outlet Fox Noticias followed Friday’s announcement that the U.S. had doubled the bounty for the Venezuelan strongman to a record-setting $50 million for any information leading to his capture. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025 His waltz through the twentieth century combined an unabashed taste for strongmen with a keen interest in history’s losers. Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for strongman

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strongman was in 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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