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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The fourth-line strongman staggered off the ice in garbage time after eating an Emil Lilleberg cross-check with 2.5 seconds remaining in regulation. Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025 Trump and Pence shake hands at Carter's funeral service amid frosty relationship Michelle Obama absent from Carter funeral A politics pit stop Trump loves populists and strongmen. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025 Trump is as sympathetic to authoritarian strongmen as Reagan was keen to promote democracy. Niall Ferguson, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025 Troops under the command of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov were embroiled in the war from the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with its forces implicated in many atrocities against Ukrainian civilians. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strongman 

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 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on strongman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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