RAMROD Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

ramrod

adjective

Definition of ramrod

as in strict

given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint a ramrod camp director who's been known to send kids home for a minor infraction of the rules

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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.

Recent Examples of ramrod That included tutorials on how to talk to older Black people, to drop some of his ramrod military formality and to be more self-deprecating in the store. — Margaret Coker, ProPublica, 19 Jan. 2023 Nine months later, the parish's electric lines have been replaced by ramrod straight poles. — Rebecca Santana, ajc, 30 May 2021 He was beloved by the British for his no-nonsense air, his ramrod straight Navy-man's posture, and his blunt words laced with a certain old-school humor at events public and private. — Guy Martin, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramrod

Adjective

Hopefully, the next administration will see some sense and once again try to protect the citizenry with stricter gun laws.

— U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026
Guests and crew members signed strict NDAs and surrendered cell phones.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026

Definition of strict

Adjective

The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.

— Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Still, the dominant message from the hearing was that Maduro’s removal has not, by itself, dismantled the authoritarian system that sustained his rule.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
But in the past 20 years, Cuba’s more progressive social policies have helped to redeem the authoritarian excesses of the revolution’s early years.

— Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026

Definition of authoritarian

Adjective

These new images, however, revealed that Quest is in worse condition than previously thought, with fishing nets, floats, and other bottom-trawling gear snagged on the stern and much of the starboard side.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
People use all caps to indicate heightened emotion and avoid the formality of proper punctuation, which now seems stilted, even stern.

— Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of stern

Adjective

Not long afterward, he was elected president on a platform deeply hostile to the West and its liberal ideology, and especially to the United States — threatening a hard fight in the event of war.

— Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
That’s hard to imagine of a president who uses the office to promote and prosper from his own brand name.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of hard

Adjective

Any new toll roads would have to make practical sense and survive rigorous feasibility studies.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products.

— Liz Knueven, CNBC, 10 July 2026

Definition of rigorous

Browse Nearby Words

ramp (up)

ramrod

rams

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Style

“Ramrod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramrod. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ramrod

adjective

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