client state
noun
: a country that is economically, politically, or militarily dependent on another country
Examples of client state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the early stages of the Cold War, Hungary, a client state controlled by the USSR, rebelled, fueled by student demonstrations arguing for secession and freedom of speech.
—
Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
But Assad’s fall (and Russia’s indifference to the collapse of his regime) suggests that concern for Syria or any other client state has been subjugated by Putin to his overriding focus on dealing Ukraine a decisive defeat.
—Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The Kremlin will fight to retain influence in Syria but the loss of its client state deals another blow to Putin.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Assad’s flight to Moscow following the swift collapse of his regime means more than just the loss of a client state for the Kremlin.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for client state 
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.
Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025
But Assad’s fall (and Russia’s indifference to the collapse of his regime) suggests that concern for Syria or any other client state has been subjugated by Putin to his overriding focus on dealing Ukraine a decisive defeat.
—Alexander Baunov, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024
The Kremlin will fight to retain influence in Syria but the loss of its client state deals another blow to Putin.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Assad’s flight to Moscow following the swift collapse of his regime means more than just the loss of a client state for the Kremlin.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for client state
Dictionary Entries Near client state
Cite this Entry
“Client state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/client%20state. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share