iron hand

noun

: stern or rigorous control
ruled with an iron hand
ironhanded adjective

Examples of iron hand in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By the time of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), people were being fitted with iron hands—in an attempt to provide function, cables, springs and other means were used to help limbs bend, or fingers grip objects, albeit imperfectly. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 Seeking a map to the mythical Grand Line, an oceanic path said to hold danger as well as potential riches, Luffy runs afoul of the Marines, an armed force led by volatile Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan) that keeps the seas orderly with an iron hand. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 Aug. 2023 President Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron hand for 29 years while relying on Russian subsidies and support, portrayed the uprising as the latest development in a clash between Mr. Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Yuras Karmanau, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2023 The show follows the Dutton family, run with an iron hand by patriarch John (Kevin Costner), a Montana rancher and landowner. Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2023 And Ronnie ran that band with an iron hand. Dakin Andone, CNN, 24 July 2021 Some judges run their courtrooms with a short temper and an iron hand. Jacob Gershman, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2021 The future will belong to those who give their people the ability to breathe free, not those who seek to suffocate their people with an iron hand. Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2021 The cut-to-the-chase award goes to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who ran the trial of Epic Games versus Apple with an iron hand. Aaron Pressman, Fortune, 2 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'iron hand.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of iron hand was circa 1570

Dictionary Entries Near iron hand

Cite this Entry

“Iron hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iron%20hand. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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