ironfisted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
Adjective
  • 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
  • That this sincere notion dovetails with an itch to vacate her dour, oppressive home only adds to her determination.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
  • To be sure, Florida had its attractions, one of which was the sunny weather, although air conditioning was still rare at the time, and the heat and humidity could be oppressive for much of the year.
    Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This is the comforter for the heavy-handed environmentalist.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 May 2025
  • Technology The Big Story Lawmakers push tech leaders on AI, energy Leaders from Silicon Valley were met Thursday with a new tone from Congress, where Republican lawmakers sang their tune of tech innovation over heavy-handed regulations.
    Julia Shapero, The Hill, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • The president shared no caption alongside the image, which depicts him sitting with a stern expression and holding up one finger while wearing white and gold papal attire, including a large cross necklace.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 3 May 2025
  • However, none will have criminal records after their cases are adjudicated, under a deal the district attorney offered during a stern press conference on Tuesday.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
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
  • Biden’s physical deterioration was so severe in the second half of his presidency that aides privately talked about the possibility of a wheelchair, according to an excerpt of a new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • One of the study's authors, Sean Esteban McCabe, also found that a large number of parents with substance use disorder have a moderate to severe condition.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sitting in on India press conferences can often be a bit grim, carefully orchestrated by the team's hierarchy and little is usually given to their hungry press corps.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
  • India claims to have targeted militant infrastructure, but the reality is grim: at least 26 Pakistani civilians -including women and a young child were reported killed in the strikes.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
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 May. 2025.

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