as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
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Recent Examples of dictator
Years later, as Ukraine fights a war to defend its democracy — to preserve a state where institutions serve the people rather than dictators, where the press remains independent, and where citizens can shape the politics around them — the contrast between the two countries is striking.
—
Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
An invading army of tens of thousands of soldiers led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, an influential commander and later dictator of Rome, stormed the town’s walls with slings and catapults.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
In 1934, World Cup took place in Italy, then ruled by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
First, in conditions short of absolute authoritarianism, as long as elections are still happening, ousting a wannabe dictator is possible.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Nataliya Gumenyuk, The Dial, 21 Apr. 2026
An invading army of tens of thousands of soldiers led by Lucius Cornelius Sulla, an influential commander and later dictator of Rome, stormed the town’s walls with slings and catapults.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 20 Apr. 2026
In 1934, World Cup took place in Italy, then ruled by fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026
First, in conditions short of absolute authoritarianism, as long as elections are still happening, ousting a wannabe dictator is possible.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
-
The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The cold indifference of history buried that grandiose tyrant in the oblivion of the desert — a haunting reminder that even the most grandiose of leaders are but fleeting shadows in the long arc of history.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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