iron curtain

noun

1
: a political, military, and ideological barrier that cuts off and isolates an area
specifically, often capitalized : one formerly isolating an area under Soviet control
2
: an impenetrable barrier
the iron curtain between the ego and the unconsciousC. J. Rolo

Examples of iron curtain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The film, which is set in 1991, sees Holocaust survivor and father (Fry) and stubborn daughter (Dunham) reunite, reconcile and chart a course for Poland to visit the father’s family home the moment the iron curtain falls. Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 13 June 2024 With the orchestrated assassination of Alexei Navalny while in captivity, the challenges were never more imperative for the people of Russia to surmount the iron curtain that has expunged democracy and usurped their civil liberties under the guise of internal and external threats. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2024 If the United States stopped aiding and protecting fledgling democracies, however, some could disappear behind Beijing’s digital iron curtain. Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023 Under this logic, the new iron curtain is being built not by Putin but by the West, which seeks to lock Russians inside their own borders through its sanctions and visa bans. Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 9 Sep. 2022 See all Example Sentences for iron curtain 

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of iron curtain was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near iron curtain

Cite this Entry

“Iron curtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iron%20curtain. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

iron curtain

noun
: a political and military barrier that isolates an area from outside contact

More from Merriam-Webster on iron curtain

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!