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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 strongman Heavyweights almost always draw more attention and Wheels, a popular online strongman seems to have tons of fan interest. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Hanke even survived a close call when Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic spread rumors the economist was a French spy and dispatched a hit squad to assassinate him. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026 Not only the record, but backlash caused by Guillen's awkward praise of former Cuban strongman Fidel Castro contributed to his dismissal in South Florida. — CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 In his opening statement, Paul painted Fauci as the strongman behind key pandemic decisions, using his influence to justify them. — Helen Branswell, STAT, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for strongman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for strongman

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

Browse Nearby Words

strongly

strongman

strongmen

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strongman. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of strongman

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes