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
And few in the greater Oz area are better at stirring up the populace, stoking their fears and angers, mongering their hate on behalf of a tyrant, better than Morrible.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
—ABC News, 16 Nov. 2025
Throughout history, humans had been ruled by tyrants and armies, without their consent.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
History’s smallest tyrants are hard to please.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrant
dictator
Noun
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But, as had happened so often in the history of brittle regimes, the dictator’s gesture of conciliation was read as desperation.—
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Mainly for the money Among the fraternity of dictators such revenue streams have now gone mainstream.—
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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