as in tyrant
formal
a person who is very strict and demands obedience from others
The prison's warden was a cruel martinet.
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Recent Examples of martinet
The ex-principal of a private school recounts outwitting a troublesome parent—her state’s martinet governor, Brigadier (Hitler) Okon.
—
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Van Zweden, in turn, was a martinet specialist in the standards who seemed appealing as an about-face from Gilbert, less electric in the core repertory.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Awaiting them at the dock are the martinet of a hotel manager, Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), and her staff, putting on an air of practiced friendliness.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
The young princess’s father, born Prince Albert, was the excruciatingly shy, stuttering second son of the martinet King George V and the frigidly correct Queen Mary.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023
Van Zweden, in turn, was a martinet specialist in the standards who seemed appealing as an about-face from Gilbert, less electric in the core repertory.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
Awaiting them at the dock are the martinet of a hotel manager, Valentina (Sabrina Impacciatore), and her staff, putting on an air of practiced friendliness.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
The young princess’s father, born Prince Albert, was the excruciatingly shy, stuttering second son of the martinet King George V and the frigidly correct Queen Mary.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022
See All Example Sentences for martinet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martinet
Noun
-
Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
-
Our tyrant locks up immigrants, comptrollers too, And sows chaos no matter the cost, so, what’s a public theater to do, To ensure that our democracy is not lost?—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
17 July 2025
Noun
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The Boys mothership show is heading towards its fifth and final season, premiering next year, and so far, no one seems powerful enough to take down the dictator supe.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
-
In 2003: Qusay and Uday Hussein, sons of Iraqi dictator Sadam Hussein, were killed by U.S. Special Forces and infantrymen from 101st Airborne after a three-hour firefight in the city of Mosul, Iraq.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
-
By several accounts, Xi was a ferocious disciplinarian.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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He was variously depicted as both a strict disciplinarian and also an emotionally intelligent father figure to the players.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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On July 13, taskmaster Saturn will station retrograde in Aries, presenting the opportunity to recalibrate and refocus.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
12 July 2025
-
Revolutionize management: Move from taskmaster to coach.—
Lori Huss,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martinet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martinet. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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