as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
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Recent Examples of strongman
Attacks on Soros have increased in recent years, just as antisemitic attacks have also risen, many of which stem from right-wing influencers, who vocally champion the international strongmen Soros opposes.
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Liam Reilly, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024
After winning election to the presidency in 2019, Bukele followed a familiar playbook used by strongmen around the world — stacking the judiciary with loyalists and using a legislative majority to rewrite the rules of governance and consolidate his power.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
Along with shots of various political strongmen like Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump, 2073’s trailer also emphasizes how Silicon Valley titans like Mark Zuckerberg play key roles in fostering the spread of fascism.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2024
That question looms over the ticket’s fondness for a broad array of strongmen — Trump has embraced Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Vance is fond of Hungary’s nationalist and Kremlin-friendly Viktor Orban.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for strongman 
Liam Reilly, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024
After winning election to the presidency in 2019, Bukele followed a familiar playbook used by strongmen around the world — stacking the judiciary with loyalists and using a legislative majority to rewrite the rules of governance and consolidate his power.
—Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024
Along with shots of various political strongmen like Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump, 2073’s trailer also emphasizes how Silicon Valley titans like Mark Zuckerberg play key roles in fostering the spread of fascism.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2024
That question looms over the ticket’s fondness for a broad array of strongmen — Trump has embraced Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and Vance is fond of Hungary’s nationalist and Kremlin-friendly Viktor Orban.
—David Hodari, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for strongman
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Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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