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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Bedoya, the sisters’ ally and enforcer, administers punishments mirroring their methods of control.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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An architect of the noncompete rule warns the enforcement strategy will fail Elizabeth Wilkins, Khan's former chief of staff and one of the architects of the FTC's noncompete rule, predicts Ferguson's plan for going after noncompetes using agency enforcers will prove woefully insufficient.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The mercurial chef was a stern taskmaster who demanded the absolute best from everyone who worked for him.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
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Work is work, and there’s writerly reward, too, in daily encounters with a diverse range of taskmasters across all social groups.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trump isn't responsible for such long-term trends as Beijing's determination to rival the United States in global influence, or Putin's evolution to an entrenched authoritarian with expansionist ambitions.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Her party, the Brothers of Italy, was founded by followers of former dictator Benito Mussolini as a post-fascist movement following WWII.—
Dan Gooding
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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For Machado and the Venezuelan opposition, embracing a narrative in which Maduro is a drug lord, not just a dictator, is a bit of a gamble.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disciplinarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disciplinarian. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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