1
a
: a heavy military boot made of glossy black leather extending above the knee and worn especially during the 17th and 18th centuries
b
: a laceless military boot reaching to the calf
2
: the spirit or policy of militarism or totalitarianism
Examples of jackboot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington Post journalist Robert Kagan said that fascism won’t come to America with jackboots and salutes.
—
Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2024
German soldiers also suffered more rapidly because their jackboots had steel studs that drained any warmth.
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
Half of the original 12 NATO countries — France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway — had been overrun and occupied by Nazi Germany and were only liberated from the genocidal regime’s jackboot four years earlier.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 July 2024
At the same time, Egyptians came to see that their country's foreign policy was being warped for the sake of U.S. largesse -- and that the jackboots of the Interior Ministry awaited those who objected too loudly to this bargain.
—Steven A. Cook, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2011
And a flawed democracy is better than the military jackboot.
—Ayesha Jalal, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2024
While the Germans sent mixed messages about peace overtures, the West just waited for the next jackboot to drop.
—Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015
As a rebuke to warmongers, a monument from one Hohenzollern despot to another seems inapt and more like a hint to keep those hobnail jackboots handy.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Apr. 2023
Or two pebbles in the same jackboot?
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2021
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2024
German soldiers also suffered more rapidly because their jackboots had steel studs that drained any warmth.
—Antony Beevor, Foreign Affairs, 29 Dec. 2022
Half of the original 12 NATO countries — France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Norway — had been overrun and occupied by Nazi Germany and were only liberated from the genocidal regime’s jackboot four years earlier.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 July 2024
At the same time, Egyptians came to see that their country's foreign policy was being warped for the sake of U.S. largesse -- and that the jackboots of the Interior Ministry awaited those who objected too loudly to this bargain.
—Steven A. Cook, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2011
And a flawed democracy is better than the military jackboot.
—Ayesha Jalal, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2024
While the Germans sent mixed messages about peace overtures, the West just waited for the next jackboot to drop.
—Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015
As a rebuke to warmongers, a monument from one Hohenzollern despot to another seems inapt and more like a hint to keep those hobnail jackboots handy.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Apr. 2023
Or two pebbles in the same jackboot?
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2021
Cite this Entry
“Jackboot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackboot. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jackboot
noun
jack·boot
-ˌbüt 
: a heavy military boot
especially
: one reaching above the knee
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share