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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Throughout her career, Meléndez has been a loyal enforcer of the Bolivarian project, overseeing internal security, police forces and emergency operations during periods of political unrest.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
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Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, considered an enforcer for Maduro, reportedly appeared on state television wearing a bulletproof vest and sounded defiant.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In Pisces, the taskmaster teaches us how to dream without delusion, and how to love without losing ourselves in the process.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cancer is a tough taskmaster, and doctors didn’t detect it early enough.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Not your grandma’s authoritarians Today’s authoritarian rulers realize that civil society has the potential to support democracy and pry loose their grip on power.—
Christopher Justin Einolf,
The Conversation,
26 Sep. 2025
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That is why censorship is the authoritarian's dream.—
Robert Birsel
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Since then, it has been linked to financial deals for dictators Manuel Noriega and Saddam Hussein, Islamic terrorist groups and government intelligence agencies including the CIA.—
Deena Sabry,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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Hitler, the dictator who led Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was central in enacting the genocide of 6 million Jews.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disciplinarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disciplinarian. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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