as in enforcer
a person who is very strict about punishing bad behavior; a person who uses discipline as a way of making sure that rules or orders are obeyed
The school's principal is a strict disciplinarian.
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Recent Examples of disciplinarian
Both were industrious strivers at work and strict disciplinarians at home.
—
Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
The 45-year-old wife, accused of being the primary disciplinarian, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while the 43-year-old husband received a 10-year sentence.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
After three years with John Fox, Pace didn’t need to fully reset the culture inside Halas Hall and bring in an experienced disciplinarian because Fox had helped clean up the mess left behind by the Phil Emery/Marc Trestman administration.
—Adam Jahns, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
There are no old-school disciplinarians in the NFL any longer, but Campbell’s success is based on toughness, winning the one-on-one battles and gambling that his team will be successful on fourth-down plays.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for disciplinarian
Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2025
The 45-year-old wife, accused of being the primary disciplinarian, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while the 43-year-old husband received a 10-year sentence.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025
After three years with John Fox, Pace didn’t need to fully reset the culture inside Halas Hall and bring in an experienced disciplinarian because Fox had helped clean up the mess left behind by the Phil Emery/Marc Trestman administration.
—Adam Jahns, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025
There are no old-school disciplinarians in the NFL any longer, but Campbell’s success is based on toughness, winning the one-on-one battles and gambling that his team will be successful on fourth-down plays.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for disciplinarian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disciplinarian
Noun
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My old company, Whitewater Films, hired me to write a sports comedy — Puckheads — about an aging minor league hockey enforcer who gets coerced into playing for a cartel in Mexico City.—
Nick Morton,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 2026
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The commission, which is the 27-nation bloc's executive arm and top antitrust enforcer, opened the investigation last year over concerns that WhatsApp was blocking competing artificial intelligence companies from offering their AI assistants on the platform.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is the meeting of the messenger planet and the taskmaster, let alone in the zodiac’s most fearless sign, setting the stage for a transit that cuts right through the fluff, forcing truth and directness.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Some of the movie is an acid satire of pre-wedding rituals — like the first dance that Charlie and Emma are dutifully rehearsing for, with a ridiculously stern taskmaster of a coach.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Khomeini was a leader of opposition to the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, an authoritarian who wanted to modernize the country.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Mar. 2026
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Khamenei, 87, who had been in power for more than three decades, was viewed by critics as a repressive authoritarian responsible for the mass murder of thousands of protesters and other human rights abuses.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And, as in the days of the Turkmen dictator, everyone fell into line.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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Imperatori-Lee said that global reach gave him a first-hand perspective on how Washington’s economic and military policies — including backing dictators in Latin America — have negatively affected less powerful nations and their citizens.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disciplinarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disciplinarian. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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