ironfisted

Definition of ironfistednext

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
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
  • 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
Adjective
  • The early heat wave comes less than a month after oppressive heat choked much of the western United States.
    Denise Chow, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel, the sequel series returns to the oppressive, patriarchal society, this time through the lens of teenagers Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday).
    Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • But while a majority of Cubans surveyed support a heavy-handed approach towards Cuba’s government, many would like to see a softer strategy towards its people who have come to the United States.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
  • However, Chu warned that storytelling can’t be heavy-handed or feel like homework for the audience.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The cast is a murderers row of British actors, and the twisting plot of the novel is full of introspection and doubt, which makes for a tight 127 minutes of shocking revelations told through stern and troubled looks.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Apr. 2026
  • This led to a stern, unanimous California Supreme Court ruling in 2020 barring the practice.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
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
Adjective
  • But going back to trying to be gentle in ungentle times.
    Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, 25 Sep. 2020
  • 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
  • According to the lawsuit, her injuries were severe.
    Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Citing leaky roofs, mold, subpar living conditions for firefighters working 24-hour shifts, and plumbing failures so severe that portable bathrooms were required to remain operational, Higgins said improvements are urgently needed.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This time, the diagnosis was more grim.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Jurors in Tanner Horner's murder trial viewed photos of his FedEx truck, the grim vessel prosecutors say was used to snatch 7-year-old Athena Strand from her own driveway and end her life.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

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