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Glite Dictionary
puppet ruler

puppet ruler

7.7
A leader who has the title but another person or country controls them
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌpɪt ˈruːlər/
  • Offensive
translation icon : gobernante títere
  • This point was made at the funeral in the Transkei in 1989 of King Sebata Dalindyebo, who had decades earlier been driven into exile by apartheid's puppet rulers.

Examples

  • They drove out the greedy colonialists, the corrupt union leaders, the mafia tapeworms, and the compliant puppet ruler.

    Blog text (19)

  • You will remain in the palace as puppet ruler...

    Harum Scarum (1965)

  • And if you notice the face, the image of the puppet ruler has been hacked away.

  • Iran and the Syrian regime are secretly planning to invade Saudi Arabia and the other oil-rich nations, and once they try this, the Sunni majority army will be free from the command of the puppet rulers just like in Syria, and there will be a total mess in this region where Roman interests will be affected.

    Blog text (29)

  • During the occupation, the country was led by a puppet ruler who answered to a foreign power.

  • The citizens grew increasingly frustrated with their puppet ruler, who did not represent their interests.

  • Many viewed the leader as a puppet ruler, claiming that the decisions were made by the military behind the scenes.

Synonyms

puppet
vspuppet ruler
  • Offensive
152 5.6

A person controlled by others to do things for them

is specifically an officeholder whose real power is held by others, often foreign
puppet leader
vspuppet ruler
  • Offensive
1 6.5

A leader who seems to be in charge but is actually controlled by another group or person

is installed and holds office only in name, often by a foreign power

Antonyms

independent
984 2.3

Not controlled by others

sovereign
33 6.8

Having the highest power that others must accept

How Controlled

puppet ruler
  • Offensive
7.7
figurehead
15 7.2
to stooge
  • Informal
1 8.5

Surface Forms

puppet ruler singular
puppet rulers plural

Morphology

puppet + ruler

The meaning is directly derived from combining 'puppet' (someone manipulated by others) with 'ruler' (a leader), so the idea of a leader controlled by others is transparently predictable. The metaphorical use of 'puppet' to signal lack of autonomy is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the MWE’s meaning.

Etymology

The phrase puppet ruler comes from the image of a puppet on strings moved by someone hidden off stage. So a puppet ruler is a ruler who only looks like they are in charge but is actually 'controlled by someone else' or 'in name only'.