ironfisted

adjective

Definition of ironfistednext
as in jackbooted

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
  1. jackbooted
  2. oppressive
  3. heavy-handed
  4. stern
  5. sledgehammer
  6. ungentle
  7. severe
  8. grim
Adjective
  • Karol let those lines here serve as her brief indictment of the present, jackbooted environment around immigration and repression in the United States.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Hungary under his rule is far from a jackbooted dictatorship, but its democracy is diverging markedly from that of many of its partners in the European Union.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018
Definition of jackbooted
Adjective
  • Underneath a sky of wildfire smoke and haze, the teams played through four hydration breaks, injury stoppages, oppressive summer heat and a patchy pitch.
    — Meg Linehan, New York Times, 17 July 2026
  • Tenet is a collection of Nolan’s most frustrating habits cranked to 11 — from an oppressive soundscape that eclipses dialogue, to stylish yet flat characters, to a narrative that’s confusingly twisty to the point of contortion.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Yes, Israel has been much too heavy-handed in its response to Hamas in Gaza.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026
  • Thorazine is a heavy-handed chemical tool sometimes used not to treat an underlying illness, but to sedate an acute behavioral crisis.
    — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026
Definition of heavy-handed
Adjective
  • These new images, however, revealed that Quest is in worse condition than previously thought, with fishing nets, floats, and other bottom-trawling gear snagged on the stern and much of the starboard side.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
  • People use all caps to indicate heightened emotion and avoid the formality of proper punctuation, which now seems stilted, even stern.
    — Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • If coffee is a sledgehammer blow to the brain — admittedly sometimes useful — yaupon was more like a gentle neural stroking.
    — Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
  • And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack.
    — Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
Definition of sledgehammer
Adjective
  • Notes From an Apocalypse is a gentle argument for coming to terms with the precarity of life, published in a moment where people are facing its fragility in an immediate and ungentle context.
    — Kate Knibbs, Wired, 16 Apr. 2020
Definition of ungentle
Adjective
  • Ruffian, racing on the lead, sustains a severe leg injury and is pulled up by jockey Jacinto Vasquez.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The incident occurred on Sunday, July 5, near the front entrance of the Austell theme park after severe weather hit the area, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of severe
Adjective
  • Despite a nerve-wracking 1-0 start (before Bellingham knocked in a deuce), Jagger was seen looking grim and pacing around the VIP box.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
  • The current media environment is so grim that critique of anything has become radically attenuated.
    — Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026
Definition of grim
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ironed out
ironfisted
ironhanded
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Cite this Entry

“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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