rule with an iron fist/hand
idiom
chiefly US
: to rule a country, area, group, etc., in a very strict and often cruel way
The dictator ruled (the country) with an iron fist.
Examples of rule with an iron fist/hand in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Shah won't be a lame duck and is set to rule with an iron fist.
—
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Leaders who are accessible and relatable are far more likely to build trust with their teams than those who guard themselves or rule with an iron fist.
—Cicely Simpson, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
Without the agreement, the only way for Yanukovych to keep the presidency is to court his own electorate by appealing to its authoritarian values, rig the elections, fully appropriate the autocratic powers that his base admires, and rule with an iron fist.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2013
In one of his studies, musicians who worked in symphony orchestras, where many conductors rule with an iron fist, were 21 percent less satisfied with their growth opportunities than players in leaderless string quartets.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2021
The Ruling The Old Georgetown Board seems to rule with an iron fist — just try putting up a neon sign in the neighborhood — but its power is advisory.
—Noreen Malone, New York Times, 1 June 2023
But despite modernizations, these monarchs rule with an iron fist.
—Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Iranian-Americans and Iranians within the country, who have long championed an Iran free from the mullahs who rule with an iron fist, have placed question marks over Biden’s human rights promises.
—Fox News, 29 Dec. 2022
Rose Abdoo, Polly Draper) and over which Ms. Smart is likely to rule with an iron fist in an iron glove.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 10 May 2022
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Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024
Leaders who are accessible and relatable are far more likely to build trust with their teams than those who guard themselves or rule with an iron fist.
—Cicely Simpson, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024
Without the agreement, the only way for Yanukovych to keep the presidency is to court his own electorate by appealing to its authoritarian values, rig the elections, fully appropriate the autocratic powers that his base admires, and rule with an iron fist.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2013
In one of his studies, musicians who worked in symphony orchestras, where many conductors rule with an iron fist, were 21 percent less satisfied with their growth opportunities than players in leaderless string quartets.
—Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2021
The Ruling The Old Georgetown Board seems to rule with an iron fist — just try putting up a neon sign in the neighborhood — but its power is advisory.
—Noreen Malone, New York Times, 1 June 2023
But despite modernizations, these monarchs rule with an iron fist.
—Ruby Mellen, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Iranian-Americans and Iranians within the country, who have long championed an Iran free from the mullahs who rule with an iron fist, have placed question marks over Biden’s human rights promises.
—Fox News, 29 Dec. 2022
Rose Abdoo, Polly Draper) and over which Ms. Smart is likely to rule with an iron fist in an iron glove.
—John Anderson, WSJ, 10 May 2022
Cite this Entry
“Rule with an iron fist/hand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20with%20an%20iron%20fist%2Fhand. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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