troika

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

Three such titles this year are a heat-seeking troika that involve American notables who, after a period of relative domestic quiet, have showily returned to the international stage.

From New York Times ● May 24, 2024

The nation’s banks are regulated by a troika of regulators: the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

Saudi Arabia, Israel and the U.S. function as a troika in the Middle East.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2022

Lips chapped and tempers frayed, and the ceaseless ringing and jingling of the troika bells grew so wearisome, it was like something out of Poe.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

What counts, at least as far as selling the show is concerned, is the mash-up of a classic title with a modern sensibility, so that troikas and patronyms become sports cars and upspeak.

From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2023

At a horse show, Nehru was just getting interested in the trotting horses and troikas, when he was dragged away to see Swan Lake at the Bolshoi Theater.

From Time Magazine Archive

“Thank you—well, I have only just gotten home myself. And I confess, I have grown weary of train schedules and troikas, seasickness and hot air balloons.”

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Mead and qvass flowed in the very streets, and the castle-trumpets could not be heard for the sound of troikas and balalaïkas.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 99, January, 1866 by Various

Do not try to scare us with your frenzied troikas from which all the nations stand aside in disgust.

From The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky