as in tyrant
a person who uses power or authority in a cruel, unjust, or harmful way
the dictator had a fierce stranglehold on the country, keeping its people in poverty and ignorance
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Recent Examples of dictator
Syria has been under some level of US sanctions since 1979, with more sweeping ones imposed in 2011 in response to dictator Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on protests.
—
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
President Trump on Monday signed an executive order dismantling a series of sanctions on Syria, providing more relief to the new authorities in Damascus who overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar Assad late last year.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 30 June 2025
Its main regional ally, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, is in exile in Moscow.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
Libya’s dictator Moammar Gadhafi disarmed in 2003, at Western urging, especially from the United States, and subsequently ended up dead in a ditch.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 1 July 2025
President Trump on Monday signed an executive order dismantling a series of sanctions on Syria, providing more relief to the new authorities in Damascus who overthrew Syrian dictator Bashar Assad late last year.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 30 June 2025
Its main regional ally, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, is in exile in Moscow.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
Libya’s dictator Moammar Gadhafi disarmed in 2003, at Western urging, especially from the United States, and subsequently ended up dead in a ditch.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictator
tyrant
Noun
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The message would then be clear: The Russian tyrant won’t break Ukraine.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
King George is a tyrant who is unfit to lead people.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictator. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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