as in tyrants
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 dictators
Although American forces have arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and killed several Iranian leaders, removing the dictators has not dislodged the dictatorships in either Caracas or Tehran.
—
David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Long before the birth of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic appointed all-powerful dictators to protect their state in times of crisis.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Amos has never taken half-measures in her music; dictators beware.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Stopping the free flow of information is something dictators and dictator wannabes do.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Thus, to be real peace-makers, whether Christian or not, responsible leaders need to be aware that the approach of pacifism often paves the way for dictators and despots to inflict more and more violence.
—Bill Keane, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Jesse Jackson was an ambassador of hope for the oppressed, who met with kings and queens and presidents and dictators and clergy of all the great religions.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war, once-compliant dictators become embarrassments and American soldiers return home in body bags.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
In the post-colonial era, Arab dictators established secular laws, but these legal systems favored the ruling clique.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Long before the birth of Julius Caesar, the Roman Republic appointed all-powerful dictators to protect their state in times of crisis.
—Big Think, 25 Mar. 2026
Amos has never taken half-measures in her music; dictators beware.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Stopping the free flow of information is something dictators and dictator wannabes do.
—Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Thus, to be real peace-makers, whether Christian or not, responsible leaders need to be aware that the approach of pacifism often paves the way for dictators and despots to inflict more and more violence.
—Bill Keane, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Jesse Jackson was an ambassador of hope for the oppressed, who met with kings and queens and presidents and dictators and clergy of all the great religions.
—Cbs Chicago Team, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war, once-compliant dictators become embarrassments and American soldiers return home in body bags.
—Tim Sullivan, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
In the post-colonial era, Arab dictators established secular laws, but these legal systems favored the ruling clique.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictators
tyrants
Noun
-
Ready to meet the season's new allies, enemies, tyrants, and giants?—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
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At the time, Athens had just emerged from a period of dictatorship and some of his students had been among the tyrants who sought to take down Athens’ democracy.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictators. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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