ironhanded

adjective

Definition of ironhandednext
as in oppressive

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironhanded
  1. oppressive
  2. severe
  3. tough
  4. rough-and-tumble
  5. ungentle
  6. grim
  7. stern
  8. heavy-handed
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
  • The severe physical limitations of those procedures required extensive medical care, leading her L7 bandmates to share a GoFundMe to cover Finch’s medical expenses and at-home care.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026
  • Diagnosed with Alzheimer's, severe dementia with agitation, depression, and anxiety, the woman was confused, had difficulty communicating her needs, and hit aides.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Definition of severe
Adjective
  • White, when give the chance, has displayed a diverse offensive game, a defensive bent and an ability to make tough shots.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • The stakes for new avatar don’t feel quite as high—the specific circumstances around the former was a perfect storm that'll be tough to duplicate—but the music isn’t any less potent for it.
    — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.
    — Justine Calma, The Verge, 24 Feb. 2023
Definition of rough-and-tumble
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
  • 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
Adjective
  • In Elliott’s Connecticut, the governor would send a busload of stern but compassionate counselors to protect workers hiding in their office where a gunman lurks.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 18 July 2026
  • Burnham brings a more relaxed style of leadership than the rather stern Starmer, and is regarded as one of the Labour Party’s best communicators.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of stern
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
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

ironfisted
ironhanded
ironhearted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ironhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironhanded. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All