ironfisted

adjective

Definition of ironfistednext
as in jackbooted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • Assad, while widely seen as an oppressive dictator and accused of using chemical weapons against his own people, was championed as a protector of Shiite Muslim sects, Christian communities, and other religious groups.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Both the Hatter and the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) get boilerplate tragic origins in a cluttered plot that’s drowned out by the hideous, oppressive visual effects.
    Josh Bell, Vulture, 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
  • However, the polar vortex could bring severe weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, that could affect travel conditions or prompt school closures.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
  • As the disease progressed over the next few days, she was intubated and put on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) — a life support technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs for patients with severe heart or lung conditions.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
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 7 Jan. 2025.

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