as in conservative
a person with old-fashioned ideas
felt like a Colonel Blimp when it came to how his grandchildren communicated with each other
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Recent Examples of Colonel Blimp
In Zac’s report, Schoonmaker addressed Powell’s legendary filmmaking partnership with Emeric Pressburger, which spawned films such as The Red Shoes, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and Black Narcissus.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Powell is perhaps best known for his creative partnership with Emeric Pressburger, which produced some of the most brilliant British films of the 20th century, including The Life of Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948).
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Released in the thick of World War II, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp serves as a kind of origin story for the character but also, and above all, as a defense of his place in history and in shaping the national character.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Aug. 2025
Powell is perhaps best known for his creative partnership with Emeric Pressburger, which produced some of the most brilliant British films of the 20th century, including The Life of Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes (1948).
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Released in the thick of World War II, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp serves as a kind of origin story for the character but also, and above all, as a defense of his place in history and in shaping the national character.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Colonel Blimp
Noun
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The president has lashed out at the justices who ruled against him in recent days, including three conservatives who were in the majority — Roberts, Gorsuch and Barrett.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Of the current six conservatives on the bench, Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett have developed something of a swing vote status.—
Ella Nilsen,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Activities Personalised treks to experience the character and charm of nearby villages, mountains, monasteries and lakes are led by highly knowledgeable guides such as Gyaljen Sherpa, 36, a veteran of Himalayan trekking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Registration for adults is $40; veterans and first responders pay $25.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The path taken has favored centralized control, fossil-fuel dependence, and corporate contracts over community stability.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
28 Feb. 2026
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According to Han, the fossils represent the first major discovery of soft-bodied organisms that lived directly after the Sinsk event.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With his piano-pounding performances, wild vocals, bouffant hair and makeup, Little Richard burst onto the musical scene in the 1950s and shook up the stuffed shirts with a string of his hit songs that got both black and white people dancing.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
9 May 2020
-
Karen Knorr’s photos of the private members’ clubs of London in the early 1980s are full of stuffed shirts wearing gleaming brogues.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
25 Feb. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Colonel Blimp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Colonel%20Blimp. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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