IRONBOUND Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

ironbound

adjective

Definition of ironbound

as in insular

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ironbound His work ethic was ironbound, his creativity often chaotic, his studio on Bologna’s Via Gaibola a wunderkammer of sorts where the textile-nerd creative masterminded more brands than arguably any other designer. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 July 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironbound

Adjective

And so there does appear to be an emotional network in the brain — areas like the amygdala, the anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, and some other areas that seem to confer an emotional component of pain.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026
Kauai, a rural island of 70,000 people, is tremendously insular and interconnected.

— Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of insular

Adjective

Have a stubborn stain or lingering odor somewhere in your home?

— Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026
Pair them with the Corn Boats so your cob doesn't roll away; the incredibly handy Corn Stripper, which removes kernels from the cob in one smooth, easy motion; and the Corn Brush, which removes stubborn corn silk easily.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

Possibly this was the case at élite law schools in the nineteen-nineties, where even the most obdurate deans could not afford to ignore their militant students indefinitely.

— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Iran, with its massive military capabilities, its oil wealth, its appetite for regional hegemony and its obdurate Islamism may have been the foremost obstacle to Israel’s integration into the region since 1979.

— Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026

Definition of obdurate

Adjective

And the Ithacan more than lives up to his reputation as the most obstinate hero in history, regularly taunting Poseidon (Miles Anderson) despite knowing the god will delay his return home.

— Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
When councilman Steve Novick threatened to sue, the Blazers recoiled and became obstinate.

— Jason Quick, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of obstinate

Adjective

Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026

Definition of parochial

Adjective

Most projects, after all, start small—a municipal equipment contract, a provincial memorandum, a maintenance agreement.

— Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial emergency service, said the attacker struck dozens of people who were chanting antimilitant slogans and demanding peace.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of provincial

Adjective

As each day passed, Safir grew stronger and stronger, meeting every new challenge with an unyielding resistance.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Despite its simple premise, Raimi’s eccentric, expressive filmmaking style, combined with the film’s unyielding, cacophonous splatter horror, made The Evil Dead instantly notorious.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026

Definition of unyielding

Adjective

Then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter ordered Jean be killed, a decision that rubbed the artist as wrongheaded and would lead to his exit a few months later.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
One of the greatest threats to public education in Chicago is the union itself and its wrongheaded insistence that CPS focus on political activism over academics.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

Definition of wrongheaded

Browse Nearby Words

iron

ironbound

ironclad

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ironbound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironbound. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ironbound

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

anecdote

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes