as in oppressive
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironhanded
Adjective
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The music was sufficiently groovy, the costumes era-appropriate (miniskirts, Travolta-tight slacks), yet nothing conjured the tension of an oppressive August day—and nobody broke a sweat.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026 -
Many observers, including Iranians in the diaspora, hoped for the collapse of the oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran and a decisive end to its nuclear program and military reach.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Days after she was struck in the head with a metal bottle, Khimberly was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered severe bleeding in her brain.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Peak said mold illness, which includes chronic conditions related to the toxins and bacterium found in mold, is more widespread than mold poisoning, where people might experience severe reactions like blindness.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Two sisters in Big Bear are facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The trappings of the Senate were another world from Mr. Abourezk’s rough-and-tumble childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where his Lebanese parents had immigrated and ran a general store.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
BostonGlobe.com,
25 Feb. 2023
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The startup’s rough-and-tumble experiments are even more telling.—
Justine Calma,
The Verge,
24 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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But going back to trying to be gentle in ungentle times.—
Stephanie Stradley,
Houston Chronicle,
25 Sep. 2020
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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
Adjective
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The German Marshall Fund think tank reached a similarly grim conclusion.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
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At the Church of Saint Andrew in Bucha, after viewing dozens of graphic photographs and a video display of the massacres with his EU counterparts, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski was grim.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of the movie is an acid satire of pre-wedding rituals — like the first dance that Charlie and Emma are dutifully rehearsing for, with a ridiculously stern taskmaster of a coach.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
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Born in Michigan, Tolkan served in the Navy before studying at the Actors Studio, eventually becoming Hollywood’s go-to stern authority figure for decades.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But several lawmakers on the committee expressed interest in taking a less-heavy-handed approach to the drug, which is sold in gas stations and smoke shops.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The 40th precinct’s heavy-handed crowd control outside the rink deepened resentment.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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“Ironhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironhanded. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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