as in dictator
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the people universally feared the tyrant, who was notorious for his frequent use of torture
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Recent Examples of tyrant
Killing the tyrant doesn’t assure the tyranny will end.
—
Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
The lesson of history is that appeasement and hope are not a strategy against a bloodthirsty tyrant.
—U.s. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Aspiring tyrants inevitably promise security and food on the table.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
West Canaan Coyotes coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is a racist tyrant who pushes his players past their limit in order to win.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
The lesson of history is that appeasement and hope are not a strategy against a bloodthirsty tyrant.
—U.s. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2026
Aspiring tyrants inevitably promise security and food on the table.
—Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
West Canaan Coyotes coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) is a racist tyrant who pushes his players past their limit in order to win.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrant
dictator
Noun
-
The delegation — the first since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in March 2014 — was headed, symbolically, by Vyacheslav Nikonov, a lawmaker from Putin’s United Russia party and the grandson of Joseph Stalin’s Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov.—
Vladimir Kara-Murza,
Washington Post,
3 Apr. 2026
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More like a memo from the dictator, telling gullible loyalists what to think.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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