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.
Experts say the suspension has another, far more serious consequence: emboldening authoritarian strongmen. Joshua Goodman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 The Maduro regime released six American citizens imprisoned in Venezuela after the strongman met with Grenell on Friday. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Feb. 2025 Assad’s brutal effort to delay his downfall only left Syria even more vulnerable to a new strongman’s rise. Fawaz A. Gerges, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2025 And Turkey's Erdogan, an Islamist strongman and Hamas mollycoddler who harbors frightening neo-Ottoman ambitions, is emboldened like never before. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near strongman

Cite this Entry

“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

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