as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
the principal's inflexibility in matters of discipline is the stuff of school legend
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Recent Examples of inflexibility
And many folks thought that that was a type of dogmatism and inflexibility that was not productive.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
But there is also such a thing as being too good, where your own purity takes precedence over all else, leading to inflexibility and inaction.
—Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
An impressive defensive coach, he has occasionally been criticized for a certain regular season inflexibility in his rotations and overplaying his best contributors.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
However, the reality is that the inherent inflexibility of immutability is essential to ensuring business resiliency and provides the invaluable peace of mind that comes with knowing data will always be there, ready to be recovered, no matter what.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Structural inflexibility is forcing unnecessary trade-offs.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
But there is also such a thing as being too good, where your own purity takes precedence over all else, leading to inflexibility and inaction.
—Shadi Hamid, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
An impressive defensive coach, he has occasionally been criticized for a certain regular season inflexibility in his rotations and overplaying his best contributors.
—Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
However, the reality is that the inherent inflexibility of immutability is essential to ensuring business resiliency and provides the invaluable peace of mind that comes with knowing data will always be there, ready to be recovered, no matter what.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Structural inflexibility is forcing unnecessary trade-offs.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflexibility
Noun
-
Several people were treated for injuries of varying severity, including the train driver, who died after being assisted by the first responders.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And rigidity and stiffness is three.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Wren Ingram found out how a metal ring's rigidity can become an issue the hard way.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflexibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflexibility. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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