Thesaurus results for STRONGMAN

strongman

noun

ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman

Definition of strongman

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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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.

Recent Examples of strongman After a surprise, landslide electoral defeat brought down longtime strongman Viktor Orbán last month, there’s a breath of new life in the Hungarian film industry. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2026 The consumer backlash, which prompted Lululemon to issue an apology and scrub its campaign, is the latest example of how quickly Western brands can come unstuck in a country where nationalism has surged under strongman leader Xi Jinping. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 17 June 2026 When Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez nationalized the ports at Puerto Cabello in 2009, Epstein advised the chief executive of the Dubai multinational that had operated it on how to navigate the situation. — Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 Valencia is considered the political protege of Colombia's former president and strongman Álvaro Uribe, who governed from 2002 to 2010 with strong support from the United States and whose government beat back FARC rebels in an offensive that took a massive civilian toll. — ABC News, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for strongman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongman

Noun

Its flint-hearted ferocity was a return to what the dynasts of the past—warlords, kings, and dictators—would find routine.

— Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
And following the ousting of longtime dictator Bashir Al-Assad, Syria continues to have armed conflict and sectarian violence.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

Definition of dictator

Noun

Because, after all, as in all of Haber’s novels, the point is not really what is happening in the world but what is happening in the mind—in this case the mind of the pettiest of tyrants.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Joseph Stalin—the Soviet Union’s supreme ruler from 1929 to 1953 and a murderous tyrant legendary for drinking friends and enemies under the table—was a closet oenophile, the e-mail explained.

— Frankie Mills, Air Mail, 27 June 2026

Definition of tyrant

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“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of strongman

noun

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