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.
With The Terminator in the rearview, and a great boost to Arnold Schwarzenegger's career, Cameron was tight with the Austrian strongman's agent, Lou Pitt. Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 18 July 2025 The United States and Europe, puzzlingly, back Turkey's strongman, enabling the emergence of a new, full-fledged autocracy on Europe's periphery. Jesse Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025 The ritualized display of armaments and troops is more routine in places like Russia, China and North Korea, where strongmen show their force to their own citizens and the world. Susan Page, USA Today, 11 June 2025 The Salvadoran strongman joined Trump officials in offering scathing pushback to questions from reporters, focused largely on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador in violation of a court order. Colin Meyn, The Hill, 23 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Strongman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strongman. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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