overlord

noun

Definition of overlordnext
as in dictator

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Example Sentences

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 overlord Militia commanders were already feeling slighted by their British overlords, and London’s stranglehold on trade and manufacturing caused still more resentment. — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026 The story line has nothing to do with Queen but instead centers on a tale about rebel Earthlings overthrowing their cruel overlords. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 Yes, other Hollywood depictions of the future had predicted similar technology over the years, but guess what year Apple overlord Steve Jobs announced the breakthrough videotelephony product known as FaceTime? — Dan Snierson, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026 Some tech observers think that the Palantir overlord sees the end times coming, but his real motivation is likely much more mundane and self-interested. — David Futrelle, Washington Post, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for overlord
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overlord
  1. dictator
  2. tyrant
  3. despot
  4. king
  5. emperor
  6. prince
  7. authoritarian
  8. satrap
Noun
  • Finchelstein, Stanley and others warn that the most dangerous moment for democracies can be when a wanna-be dictator loses momentum.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • No matter how powerful, dictators have always needed subordinates—censors, propagandists, security guards, police officers, intelligence analysts, and local bureaucrats—to carry out their orders.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of dictator
Noun
  • Plato warned that an unhealthy democracy can easily fall prey to a tyrant.
    — Kenneth Michael White, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Some of the rumors, and a few of the reports at the time, paint Khrzhanovsky as a tyrant who went mad with power, like Colonel Kurtz in Heart of Darkness (or maybe Francis Ford Coppola making Apocalypse Now).
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of tyrant
Noun
  • Like in Vegas, where Elwood was babysitting the son of a despot.
    — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Nevermind that by this stage the 48-year-old despot had a seeping abscess on his left leg and could barely walk.
    — Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of despot
Noun
  • William will one day be king, with a formal role in the Church of England.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Muñoz noted in his manuscript that the telescope belonged to the king and was made by Galileo.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of king
Noun
  • Samuel, or Samuil in Bulgarian, was a warrior emperor who battled the Byzantine Empire to expand his kingdom but was ultimately defeated and died shortly afterward in 1014.
    — COSTAS KANTOURIS, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Roman emperors typically had tens of thousands of people serving in the Praetorian Guard; modern autocrats rely on standing armies.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of emperor
Noun
  • That reduction forced painful cuts to Vision 2030, the prince’s signature policy aimed at remaking Saudi Arabia.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Other schemes are more direct—like a new version of the Nigerian prince scam that uses celebrity deepfakes.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of prince
Noun
  • This was demonstrated in Hungary in April, when opposition leader Péter Magyar convincingly won an election against a long-ruling, right-wing authoritarian.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 9 Sep. 2026
  • And the solution is simply to replace the corrupt, racist authoritarian with a governing party that respects the rule of law, equality, and basic decency.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Noun
  • The ranks of the leadership are staffed, in large measure, with satraps and mediocrities.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 June 2025
  • The quick collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satraps unsettled both nations.
    — Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Definition of satrap

Browse Nearby Words

overlooks
overlord
overlords
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Cite this Entry

“Overlord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overlord. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about overlord

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