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
If Bonhoeffer’s example is used to justify more far-right Christian violence in America, that would be another tragedy — and a cruel irony that would stain the legacy of a man who gave up everything to confront a tyrant.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Shauna in season three is a mask-off teen tyrant with better-than-you superiority and spiteful line readings that transform the other girls’ pity toward her for losing her best friend and her baby into legitimate fear.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Commitment to these basic facts — that Trump is a tyrant and Congress needs to act now to get him out of the White House — will be a major litmus test for any 2026 candidate.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Hope: Ultimately, the protests suggest the possibility that, eventually, an overwhelming majority of Palestinians will never again allow themselves to be ruled by revanchist tyrants of any shade.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Shauna in season three is a mask-off teen tyrant with better-than-you superiority and spiteful line readings that transform the other girls’ pity toward her for losing her best friend and her baby into legitimate fear.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
Commitment to these basic facts — that Trump is a tyrant and Congress needs to act now to get him out of the White House — will be a major litmus test for any 2026 candidate.
—Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Hope: Ultimately, the protests suggest the possibility that, eventually, an overwhelming majority of Palestinians will never again allow themselves to be ruled by revanchist tyrants of any shade.
—Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tyrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tyrant
Noun
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Through his interactions with Saddam, Nixon gains a deeper understanding of the Iraqi dictator, the potential consequences of the invasion, and the humanitarian and geopolitical turmoil that would ensue.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2025
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The violence is stoking fears among Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious minorities who have grown increasingly worried about persecution under the rule of Syria’s new Islamist leaders, who overthrew the dictator Bashar al-Assad in December.—
Euan Ward,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tyrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tyrant. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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