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Synonym Chooser

How is the word strict distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of strict are rigid, rigorous, and stringent. While all these words mean "extremely severe or stern," strict emphasizes undeviating conformity to rules, standards, or requirements.

strict enforcement of the law

When could rigid be used to replace strict?

The synonyms rigid and strict are sometimes interchangeable, but rigid implies uncompromising inflexibility.

rigid rules of conduct

When would rigorous be a good substitute for strict?

The words rigorous and strict are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rigorous implies the imposition of hardship and difficulty.

the rigorous training of recruits

When is it sensible to use stringent instead of strict?

Although the words stringent and strict have much in common, stringent suggests severe, tight restriction or limitation.

stringent standards of admission

Example Sentences

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 strict The company has long taken a strict stance against bootlegs, using legal threats and lawsuits to shut down emulators of older Nintendo consoles and related ROM provider sites. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 May 2025 Several people who have worked in or with the lab said that the staff was hampered by strict credit card limits imposed on government employees as part of the effort to reduce spending by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has been spearheaded by presidential adviser Elon Musk. Anna Clark, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 For those that don’t know, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years is a traditional Kentucky bourbon adhering to strict requirements—100 proof, aged at least four years and produced in a single distilling season. Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Oral arguments will be heard in the landmark case on Wednesday, pitting claims of religious freedom against efforts to maintain strict separation of church and state. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for strict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strict
Adjective
  • Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • To be more accurate, residents in 69 towns rolled out their trash bins every week and never thought about where it was headed and one town received it all.
    Sarah McCoy, Hartford Courant, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Digital forensics demands rigorous methodology to ensure evidence integrity and reliable findings.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • Members have included figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin and Martin Luther King Jr. New members are chosen through a rigorous nomination and election process, according to the academy.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • This man isn’t defined by grand gestures or rigid gender scripts.
    Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
  • Having the drawstring attached to something rigid makes this job much easier to manage.
    Maryal Miller Carter, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • This is a view of the future where major sporting events can achieve practically ubiquitous distribution and true interactivity.
    Richard Deitsch, New York Times, 15 May 2025
  • Dylan’s life is full of true — meaning real — contradictions.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2025
Adjective
  • This garment gets exposed to harsher conditions than most clothing.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
  • Avoid harsh products: Soaps, lotions, and products with fragrance, alcohol, or dyes can dry out the skin and worsen atopic dermatitis.
    Health, Health, 11 May 2025
Adjective
  • As of March 12, 2025, SSA introduced a more stringent identity verification procedure, which requires a new two-factor authentication process.
    Elliot Raphaelson, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
  • But the job can also be stressful, and the qualifications are stringent.
    Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 May 2025
Adjective
  • From examining markets and assessing team capacity to reviewing current offerings, the decision to expand to a second storefront is one that requires careful consideration before any concrete plans are put in motion.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • Hillman and the department urged residents in the area to be extra careful this time of year.
    Brooke Baitinger, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • From 2019 to 2020, the authoritarian petrostate paid $115,000 a month to now–Attorney General Pam Bondi and her firm to lobby on its behalf.
    Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
  • Orwell authored 1984, a bleak vision of the future where an authoritarian regime weaponizes language to suppress independent thought and rewrite history.
    Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strict. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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