troika
Americannoun
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a Russian carriage, wagon, or sleigh drawn by a team of three horses abreast.
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a team of three horses driven abreast.
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any group of three persons, nations, etc., acting equally in unison to exert influence, control, or the like.
noun
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a Russian vehicle drawn by three horses abreast
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three horses harnessed abreast
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a triumvirate
Etymology
Origin of troika
1835–45; < Russian tróĭka threesome, troika, derivative of tróe three (collective), akin to tri three
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the troika of major figures in the Russian Revolution, Trotsky stood for ideas and Stalin represented power; their predecessor, Vladimir Lenin, had fused the two values as the frowning avatar of communist leadership.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
The second thing is that the movie stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, a troika of charisma bombs who just have to show up for me to do the same.
From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024
Saudi Arabia, Israel and the U.S. function as a troika in the Middle East.
From Salon • Jul. 19, 2022
The ambassador of Norway, which together with the United States and Britain is in a troika to steer Western policy on Sudan, strongly condemned violence against unarmed protesters.
From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2021
The wooden inkpot was carved in the shape of a troika, which is a kind of Russian sleigh pulled by three horses harnessed abreast.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
