as in monarch
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruler
For example, in the first-century Gospels, John the Baptist, a contemporary of Jesus, confronts the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas, for marrying his brother’s wife – a practice forbidden in the Hebrew scriptures.
—
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Content by this author: Snapshot Syria’s Post-Authoritarian Trap Islamist rebels are unlikely to become democratic rulers.
—William B. Quandt, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2025
Many Christian clerics and secular rulers in western Europe believed that the popes needed to return to Rome, to distance papal authority from French influence.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
After all, cats may not think of themselves as 'cats' but as rulers of their kingdoms, so perhaps being allergic to one's subjects isn't so surprising.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruler 
Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
Content by this author: Snapshot Syria’s Post-Authoritarian Trap Islamist rebels are unlikely to become democratic rulers.
—William B. Quandt, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2025
Many Christian clerics and secular rulers in western Europe believed that the popes needed to return to Rome, to distance papal authority from French influence.
—Joanne M. Pierce, The Conversation, 28 Jan. 2025
After all, cats may not think of themselves as 'cats' but as rulers of their kingdoms, so perhaps being allergic to one's subjects isn't so surprising.
—Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruler
Noun
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Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone are delicious as the two ruthless favorites of the monarch, who try to outmaneuver each other at all costs.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2025
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Thus the ending of the old monarch was properly marked by friends and foes alike.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The crux of the problem is that the Constitution explicitly grants power to both federal and state governments – but the founders did not specify what to do if the two sovereigns disagree or how any ensuing struggle should be resolved.—
Claire B. Wofford,
The Conversation,
27 Jan. 2025
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The sovereign visited his daughter-in-law before his own procedure, and they were discharged a few days apart.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Republicans called Barack Obama an emperor for using his executive power to, among other things, simply defer federal immigration enforcement against young Dreamers that were broadly popular.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
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The site was part of a pleasure garden complex thought to be owned by the emperor, which is supported by the writings of Philo of Alexandria.—
Jake Parks,
Discover Magazine,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The exhibition’s most riveting work, sure to have been a popular favorite, is the roughly life-size bronze head of Seuthes III, a Thracian king almost contemporary with, if perhaps slightly younger than, Macedonian Alexander the Great.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
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The constellation Cepheus is not nearly as bright as Cassiopeia and looks nothing like a king.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ruler
Cite this Entry
“Ruler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruler. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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