strongman
noun
strong·man
ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman 
: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods
Synonyms
Examples of strongman in a Sentence
a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
Recent Examples on the Web
Once useful anti-Communist strongmen became dispensable.
—
Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Consider for a moment the aging roster of strongmen who will likely still be leading other powers—not just Xi and Putin but also Narendra Modi in India, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Ali Khamenei in Iran, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.
—Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Trump no longer casts himself as a brash entrepreneur vexed by meddlesome government regulators but as a messianic strongman keen on maximizing state power to reshape American society, culture, and law.
—Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Today’s aspiring authoritarians are less likely than the 20th century’s to show up as right-wing strongmen, using violence and repression to seize power.
—Kristina Foltz, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for strongman 
Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Consider for a moment the aging roster of strongmen who will likely still be leading other powers—not just Xi and Putin but also Narendra Modi in India, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Ali Khamenei in Iran, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey.
—Ben Rhodes, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024
Trump no longer casts himself as a brash entrepreneur vexed by meddlesome government regulators but as a messianic strongman keen on maximizing state power to reshape American society, culture, and law.
—Jon D. Michaels, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Today’s aspiring authoritarians are less likely than the 20th century’s to show up as right-wing strongmen, using violence and repression to seize power.
—Kristina Foltz, The Mercury News, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for strongman
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strongman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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