as in martinet
a person who believes that something is very important and should be done or followed all the time
Her father was a stickler about arriving on time.
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Recent Examples of stickler
As carry-on only travelers, Ryan and I are sticklers about efficient packing.
—
Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what legal-ethics sticklers might think of its business model, the 156-person startup has been growing quickly.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
His mom was a stickler for doing things the right way, and Travis did those things.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Sean Payton is a noted stickler for details, even beyond the normal standards of an obsessive group like professional football coaches.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stickler
Kristine Thomason, Travel + Leisure, 23 Aug. 2025
Regardless of what legal-ethics sticklers might think of its business model, the 156-person startup has been growing quickly.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
His mom was a stickler for doing things the right way, and Travis did those things.
—Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Sean Payton is a noted stickler for details, even beyond the normal standards of an obsessive group like professional football coaches.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stickler
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stickler
Noun
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The September murder of the right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was close to many in the administration, including Miller, plunged Trump’s already single-minded martinet into a maximalist frenzy.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
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And then there’s the U.S. Army officer who succeeds in apprehending Perfidia: Col. Steven J. Lockjaw, played in a graying military fade, with some fur on top and a martinet scowl, by Sean Penn.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mitevska also refuses to sanctify Mother Teresa more than necessary, instead portraying her as a strict disciplinarian who believed in organizational practicality as much as in the inherent holiness of children.—
Ritesh Mehta,
IndieWire,
27 Aug. 2025
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Considering his managers at Leeds included disciplinarians such as Wilkinson and George Graham, this was probably for the best.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
Noun
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What is the answer to that — an authoritarian taskmaster?—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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Billy is a tough taskmaster, sending Max down a hole in the ground to chisel out the precious metal, a tall task for a minor.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In turn, the criticizer is made out to be overreacting.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The purists will insist that Babe Ruth is rolling in his grave, while the game’s youngest fans probably aren’t listening to them with so many other options for entertainment.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
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When Barbara Walters started interviewing celebrities on her prime time specials for ABC in the 1970s, pearl-clutching journalistic purists were aghast.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stickler.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stickler. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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