ironfisted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ironfisted
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
Adjective
  • The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.
    Courtney Howard, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The current war in Sudan involves civil strife and shifting allegiances, in which one oppressive regime was toppled by a coalition, which then turned in on itself, leading to an even more vicious war.
    Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The decision — coming about 13 hours after the president's latest tariff hikes went into effect — encouraged investors who had worried that a heavy-handed approach to trade would drive the U.S. into a recession and raise inflation.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 9 Apr. 2025
  • That’s not what’s happening here; these are heavy-handed slashings by a man who fundamentally does not understand or respect the functions of the agencies under his stewardship.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Ars Technica: One of the most visually arresting images from James Cameron's blockbuster film Titanic was the ship's stern sticking straight up out of the water after breaking apart from the bow.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Leeds also drive some of the sternest vitriol along opponents’ terraces.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
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
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
Adjective
  • School closures abound As severe weather persisted, school districts in multiple states opted to cancel classes for the day.
    John Bacon, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
    Alex Sundby, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In April, 2004, Phish played a series of exceptionally grim shows in Las Vegas.
    Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This latest escalation is a grim reminder: Russia was and remains the aggressor, in blatant violation of international law.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Ironfisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ironfisted. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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