How to Use strong-willed in a Sentence

strong-willed

adjective
  • Only the strong-willed can resist.
    — Mara Reinstein, HollywoodReporter, 24 Nov. 2025
  • From the outside, your fans think of you as a very strong-willed person, in your art.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2024
  • Gayle is strong-willed, independent and lives her life on her terms.
    — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2023
  • That strong-willed streak plays out in the timeline where Mary does meet George.
    — Margaret Heidenry, Vanity Fair, 24 Dec. 2025
  • Of course, strong-willed Claire puts up a fight, but Jamie won’t relent.
    — Amy Wilkinson, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2024
  • That is a recipe for two very strong-willed people to really have issues.
    — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Symbolized by the ram, Aries is a fire sign, known for its strong persona.
    — Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
  • In her three-plus decade career, many of her characters have been strong-willed women.
    — Alex Gonzalez, NBC News, 2 July 2024
  • Parenting a strong-willed child can be challenging at times.
    — Bridget Shirvell, Parents, 17 Feb. 2026
  • Belle is bright and curious and passionate and strong-willed.
    — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Gracie is strong-willed like her mother — no-nonsense, somewhat tough.
    — Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 8 Jan. 2025
  • But things are starting to change for the strong-willed PGA Tour pro.
    — Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • While ponies have a more strong-willed nature, horses are usually more docile and willing to please.
    — Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Tenacious and strong-willed, Kat is hyper-focused on her career.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Walnut was a graceful, strong-willed bird, if a tad antisocial.
    — Elaine Godfrey, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2024
  • The movie tracks Charlene’s growth from a strong-willed teen into a wary, wily, powerful adult.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Aided by a strong-willed coach, these aspiring basketball players do their best to rise to the top.
    — Men's Health Editorial, Men's Health, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Growing older isn’t for the faint of heart, and this strong-willed woman refuses to go gentle into that good night.
    — Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Pat and Jimmy are two very strong-willed people who are looking for the same thing, which is ultimately to win.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 July 2024
  • Known to be competitive, those born under Aries are courageous, strong-willed and carefree.
    — Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
  • Which is how a person – an outgoing, strong-willed, ebullient person comes to retire at 16.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Captain's relatives described him as strong-willed and big-hearted, and asked the judge to give Romero a long prison sentence.
    — Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
  • Bernhardt’s strong-willed personality showed up both in her stage career and in her personal life.
    — Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2023
  • Stiller had wanted someone strong-willed and energetic, someone who could make Helly an engine of the show.
    — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Dynamic and daring, Fragile is the work of a group of strong-willed musicians willing to come to blows over their music.
    — Darryn King, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Pickens has a reputation for being strong-willed, so perhaps this isn't the way to go in these negotiations.
    — Ernesto Cova, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Nash plays Bertie, Elvis’ strong-willed mother figure who runs his day-to-day life and is the only one who can go challenge Elvis.
    — Breanna Bell, Variety, 1 Mar. 2023
  • Her aides do not issue any statements without Feinstein’s sign-off, and describe her as strong-willed even in her diminished state.
    — Annie Karni, BostonGlobe.com, 28 May 2023
  • And yet there was a growing sense that that confidence, that supreme self-belief, had become something more stubborn than secure, more willful than strong-willed.
    — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2023
  • Schmidt will play Lori Gillespie, a strong-willed, self-deprecating attorney.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strong-willed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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