as in dictators
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
like some pharaoh of a third-world country, more interested in building monuments to himself than in creating a future for his people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pharaohs
This is the third immersive experience presented at South Florida PBS Studios, following presentations on Leonardo Da Vinci and Egyptian pharaohs.
—
Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Leprosy still existed, pharaohs did not.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
Leprosy still existed, pharaohs did not.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pharaohs
Noun
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Some dictators go down fighting.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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That’s what dictators want to do.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those historians were impressed by how much personal force the old tyrants could generate.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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The world is full of bad actors—cheats, liars, tyrants, sickos—who are, ultimately, mere human beings; at least, this was how rationality would have it.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pharaohs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pharaohs. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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