strongman

noun

strong·​man ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman How to pronounce strongman (audio)
: one who leads or controls by force of will and character or by military methods

Examples of strongman in a Sentence

a Latin-American strongman who basically treated his nation's coffers as his personal bank account
Recent Examples on the Web Partners View all partners Email X (Twitter) Facebook LinkedIn The death of Alberto Fujimori, the deeply divisive former Peruvian president, comes amid a resurgence of interest in the former strongman – both from supporters and detractors. Ñusta Carranza Ko, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2024 Attacks on Soros have increased in recent years, just as antisemitic attacks have also risen, many of which stem from right-wing influencers, who vocally champion the international strongmen Soros opposes. Liam Reilly, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024 After winning election to the presidency in 2019, Bukele followed a familiar playbook used by strongmen around the world — stacking the judiciary with loyalists and using a legislative majority to rewrite the rules of governance and consolidate his power. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2024 Along with shots of various political strongmen like Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump, 2073’s trailer also emphasizes how Silicon Valley titans like Mark Zuckerberg play key roles in fostering the spread of fascism. Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strongman 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strongman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of strongman was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near strongman

Cite this Entry

“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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