as in jackbooted
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
Adjective
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Cooper was obsessed with the New World Order and the actions of jackbooted government enforcers against the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and white separatist Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.—
Andrew Stuttaford,
WSJ,
19 Sep. 2018 -
Likethumb_up Replyreply Linklink Copy Reportflag eraley 22 minutes ago Trump’s America and his jackbooted thugs.—
Marwa Eltagouri,
Washington Post,
28 May 2018
Adjective
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Some are violent in nature, showing guns pointing at the oppressive establishment, usually portrayed as pigs.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Joan Almedilla, who plays Aurora Aquino in the Taper production, said her wish is for audiences to feel a collective call-to-action against oppressive leaders.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Texas should prepare for the rise of artificial intelligence by embracing innovation while protecting citizens—through freedom-first policies, not heavy-handed regulation.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Demonstrators lined up for the second week in a row outside of the county administration building over what some see as a heavy-handed federal immigration crackdown.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The captain ultimately ordered lifeboats lowered, and the ship went down stern first.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps the solution is as simple as Miss Manners issuing a polite, but stern, PSA or a witty bon mot discouraging this practice.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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But going back to trying to be gentle in ungentle times.—
Stephanie Stradley,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Sep. 2020
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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
Adjective
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The consequences for oil prices and Americans’ wallets could be swift and severe.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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The 312-page investigation also points to a severe lack of oversight at Boeing as the catalyst for the mission’s failure.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One skier is still missing and presumed dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a grim news conference.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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And yet the grim scenes had actually started with a gorgeous goal from the Brazilian, jinking inside and finding the far corner with unimaginable ease (below).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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