as in monarch
one who rules over a people with a sole, supreme, and usually hereditary authority
the aging ruler agonized over the choice of an heir
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruler
The company became a target in the legal fight to pay off creditors who lost oil assets, mining rights, and more when they were expropriated under Venezuela’s former socialist ruler, Hugo Chavez, almost 20 years ago.
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Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
Neither Saudi nor the UAE has a free press, and both enforce strict laws governing social media posts that are deemed to threaten national security or defame their rulers.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Take the quiz here … CROWN FORGED – Landmark coin tied to legendary ruler preserved for nation after detectorist's lucky discovery.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The latest execution comes as Iran's hardline Islamic clerical rulers face the most significant domestic unrest seen in the country in several years.
—Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruler
Noun
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The latter event is purely ceremonial and marks the beginning of a parliamentary session, which cannot begin until the monarch gives his or her speech.—
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Going back to the early years of the Revolution, Washington occupied the position left vacant by the English monarch, one George succeeding another.—
Noun
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The name only indirectly refers to Roman emperor Julius Caesar, who was born by natural means but under Roman law decreed that all pregnant women who were dead or dying must be cut open to save the child.—
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Alas, a child exposed the collective delusion and the emperor’s nakedness.—
Noun
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Harry is due to attend the court proceedings, but this trip will not include a meeting with his father, King Charles III, as the sovereign will be in Scotland at the time.—
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The speech, however, is not actually written by the sovereign, but rather by the government.—
Noun
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For centuries, the kings and queens of the Netherlands have been buried in the church, beginning with William of Orange in 1584.—
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But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Cite this Entry
“Ruler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruler. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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