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 -
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
Adjective
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For those still experiencing the oppressive heat, here are some tips for how to find your own bit of relief.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
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The oppressive heat and humidity, which have brought triple-digit temperatures across the Midwest and East Coast in recent weeks, have caused the pavement to buckle on roads in a number of states.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Kevin Carter/Getty Images After years of inflation, high costs, and heavy-handed regulation, Main Street is ready for a comeback.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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The team, one of Southern California’s most revered (and lucrative) institutions, caved last week amid a growing public outcry and committed $1 million to help families affected by the Trump administration’s heavy-handed immigration policies.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Born in Philadelphia in October 1888, Breen shuttled between jobs in public relations, newspaper journalism, and the U.S. consular service, yet the connecting thread was always his deep, proud, stern Irish Catholicism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
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However, strikes between the two nations appeared to continue—leading to a stern rebuke from the president on Tuesday morning.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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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Over the next two days, more than 120 million people are under the threat for severe storms from the Midwest to the East Coast.—
Kenton Gewecke,
ABC News,
18 June 2025
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Officials have told residents in three states to stay indoors this week due to severe air quality alerts and record-breaking heat.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite the grim topic, the report offers encouraging news: Steady progress has been made in reducing child labor globally.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
26 June 2025
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Gatwa’s first as the Doctor. Compare Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Time Lord, and things get grimmer.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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