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
The frustration is in the inflexibility.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
The Red Sox could also try to move on from Masataka Yoshida, though his contract, injury history and positional inflexibility will hamper his trade value.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Roster inflexibility could further complicate matters.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 20 Feb. 2026
The Red Sox could also try to move on from Masataka Yoshida, though his contract, injury history and positional inflexibility will hamper his trade value.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026
Roster inflexibility could further complicate matters.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflexibility
Noun
-
The war’s impact on inflation depends on its severity and duration as well as the magnitude of the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow corridor through which one in five barrels of oil around the world flow.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The severity of McBride’s injury put more emphasis on the Knicks front office to fill the void behind Brunson.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The rigidity of that system is one of the reasons Liu quit the sport at 16, before deciding to return, on her own terms, two years later.—
Alice Park,
Time,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Over time, the concept of resistance evolved into a broader identity, one rooted in challenging industry rigidity with humor and approachability.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inflexibility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflexibility. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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