ironfisted

adjective

Definition of ironfistednext
as in jackbooted

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
  1. jackbooted
  2. oppressive
  3. heavy-handed
  4. stern
  5. sledgehammer
  6. ungentle
  7. severe
  8. grim
Adjective
  • Cooper was obsessed with the New World Order and the actions of jackbooted government enforcers against the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and white separatist Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
    Andrew Stuttaford, WSJ, 19 Sep. 2018
  • Hungary under his rule is far from a jackbooted dictatorship, but its democracy is diverging markedly from that of many of its partners in the European Union.
    Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018
Definition of jackbooted
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, two teenagers filed a class-action lawsuit against a Kentucky youth detention center and its administrators, claiming that they were subjected to oppressive isolation, denied basic hygiene, showers, and medications, and forced to listen to a toddler song.
    Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Based on the classic Stephen King novel written under pen name Richard Bachman, The Running Man is set in an oppressive future where the government controls the media.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Musk’s influence could thus lead to a more heavy-handed regulatory environment for AI in the U.S. There is one problem with all these speculations, though.
    Rob Toews, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
  • But what starts as a winking nod at the challenges of parenting ends up a heavy-handed fable about the primacy of human values, with an emphasis on the idea that a gendered role is essential to becoming human.
    Elvia Wilk, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of heavy-handed
Adjective
  • Corenswet is perfect as a younger, less chiseled, less stern version of Superman.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Freeland, on the other hand, has advocated a much tougher approach to Trump, one more in line with the stern response of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • If coffee is a sledgehammer blow to the brain — admittedly sometimes useful — yaupon was more like a gentle neural stroking.
    Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
  • And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack.
    Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
Definition of sledgehammer
Adjective
  • But going back to trying to be gentle in ungentle times.
    Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, 25 Sep. 2020
  • 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
  • Tartus, now Ursa Major appears to have suffered a more severe breakdown.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
  • More strong storms will be possible Friday across Louisiana and Mississippi, and more organized severe storms will be possible on Saturday.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 26 Dec. 2024
Definition of severe
Adjective
  • Viewers watched as Berghoff spilled chilling anecdotes of her experiences, painting a grim picture of the dangers lurking in the digital dating pool.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
  • The larger picture is especially grim: Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has leaped, as reported by the Israeli media and human-rights groups.
    Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of grim
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near ironfisted

ironed out

ironfisted

ironhanded

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...