as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the people universally feared the tyrant, who was notorious for his frequent use of torture
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Recent Examples of tyrant
Foreign policy Advertisement Harris says U.S. foreign policy should be based on strong alliances with other democracies, not cynical partnerships with tyrants like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.
—
Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Why would anyone be shocked that Venezuelans fear the erratic tyrant who rules them?
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2024
Some enterprising and overly imaginative op-ed columnist might suggest that their leader, Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), represents Putin, the icy tyrant.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
All the while, Assad remained a brutal tyrant at home.
—Sefa Secen / Made By History, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tyrant 
Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Why would anyone be shocked that Venezuelans fear the erratic tyrant who rules them?
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2024
Some enterprising and overly imaginative op-ed columnist might suggest that their leader, Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen), represents Putin, the icy tyrant.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
All the while, Assad remained a brutal tyrant at home.
—Sefa Secen / Made By History, TIME, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tyrant
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Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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