variants
or schoolma'am
as in teacher
US, old-fashioned
a woman who teaches in a school in a small town or in the country
In the movie, she plays a doting schoolmarm in colonial New England.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of schoolmarm
The search for a missing schoolmarm is the focus of an escape room experience at the Lanesfield School, a historic one-room schoolhouse in Edgerton.
—
Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
University deans, schoolmarms and human resources managers penned dress codes outright forbidding the garment or relegating it to certain areas.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Visitors can relive a school experience from the early 20th century, complete with a schoolmarm and an outhouse.
—Jshortavon, cleveland, 23 July 2023
Then there’s Jeffrey Wright’s gung-ho military man, Matt Dillon’s bubbleheaded grease monkey, Steve Carell’s apologetic motel owner, Maya Hawke’s friendly schoolmarm, and Rupert Friend’s cowboy loverboy.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2023
In the music video, Gavin plays the titular cheerleader who is smitten with a girl in the program; meanwhile, Bridgers plays the pink-haired schoolmarm in charge, while popular gay comedian Caleb Hearon plays a conflicted gay coach.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2022
On hand to enforce the rules is an electronic schoolmarm called Lana, who resembles a Google Home under the influence of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
—Judy Berman, Time, 16 Apr. 2020
The October 2019 cover of Harper’s Bazaar featured Demi Moore dressed in Victorian schoolmarm wear, replete with knotted collar and wire-rimmed glasses.
—Cintra Wilson, The New York Review of Books, 11 Feb. 2020
These disingenuous characterizations — the zealous youngster and the wise schoolmarm — are trite.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2019
Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
University deans, schoolmarms and human resources managers penned dress codes outright forbidding the garment or relegating it to certain areas.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Visitors can relive a school experience from the early 20th century, complete with a schoolmarm and an outhouse.
—Jshortavon, cleveland, 23 July 2023
Then there’s Jeffrey Wright’s gung-ho military man, Matt Dillon’s bubbleheaded grease monkey, Steve Carell’s apologetic motel owner, Maya Hawke’s friendly schoolmarm, and Rupert Friend’s cowboy loverboy.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2023
In the music video, Gavin plays the titular cheerleader who is smitten with a girl in the program; meanwhile, Bridgers plays the pink-haired schoolmarm in charge, while popular gay comedian Caleb Hearon plays a conflicted gay coach.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2022
On hand to enforce the rules is an electronic schoolmarm called Lana, who resembles a Google Home under the influence of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
—Judy Berman, Time, 16 Apr. 2020
The October 2019 cover of Harper’s Bazaar featured Demi Moore dressed in Victorian schoolmarm wear, replete with knotted collar and wire-rimmed glasses.
—Cintra Wilson, The New York Review of Books, 11 Feb. 2020
These disingenuous characterizations — the zealous youngster and the wise schoolmarm — are trite.
—Armond White, National Review, 20 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schoolmarm
Noun
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The situation remains the same, but your relationship to it changes completely. Transform your triggers into your greatest teachers Become a zen entrepreneur by transforming your relationship to triggers.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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The effort also aims to improve staff retention and recruitment at a time when hiring enough teachers can prove challenging — especially in an expensive city where the rising cost of having a family outpaces a teacher’s salary.—
Jenny Gold,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
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In 1989, Erik confessed to his psychologist, whose mistress later reported it to the police.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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But a bitter divorce turned deadly when Jennifer Dulos disappeared and her husband and his mistress were implicated in her murder.—
John Cassidy,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career.—
Natalie Wu,
CNBC,
15 May 2025
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Howard Fuller, an instructor for the Connecticut Rider Education Program at Tunxis Community College, said attitudes are different on the roads these days with distracted and disrespectful driving toward others.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Schoolmarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schoolmarm. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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