ramrod

adjective

Definition of ramrodnext
as in strict
given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint a ramrod camp director who's been known to send kids home for a minor infraction of the rules

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ramrod
  1. strict
  2. tough
  3. authoritarian
  4. stern
  5. harsh
  6. rigid
  7. hard
  8. rigorous
Adjective
  • Without stricter coordination, brightness limits, debris controls, disposal rules, and international capacity planning, the next space race could damage the orbital lanes on which modern life now depends.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
  • Not a whole lot, admittedly, since there was reportedly a strict no-phone policy for guests (as well as event staff and security).
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026
Definition of strict
Adjective
  • MacDonald agrees that some of Kiros' positions could put Democratic candidates in a tough spot.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • The 34 measures include cuts to income tax for low- and middle income families, an overhaul of the creaking pension system, tougher rules for employees' sick leave and a reduction of the country's stifling bureaucracy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • In the nation’s gravest hour, the country’s authoritarian regime has crippled an effective response, say survivors, rescue workers and former officials.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • Some are fleeing authoritarian regimes, war or natural disasters.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Definition of authoritarian
Adjective
  • England, which has been patchy so far, poses the sternest test yet for the co-hosts.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • With upcoming opponents Croatia providing a sterner test in possession, Portugal’s defensive display will be under greater scrutiny.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • White settlers and frontier pioneers built vast, fenceless cattle stations, battling harsh environments and disease, embracing a hard-living culture that exists to this day.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • Dish Soap Using harsh chemicals on the outside of your toilet bowl and fixtures is not recommended, according to Meagher.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 4 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Instead of forcing business owners to constantly upload mountains of paper invoices or rigid bank statements, Magellan monitors the real-time transactions flowing directly through its platform.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 30 June 2026
  • The trust could provide financial support for a broad group of beneficiaries defined by you, rather than by rigid family-tree relationships.
    — Martin Shenkman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of rigid
Adjective
  • Not long afterward, he was elected president on a platform deeply hostile to the West and its liberal ideology, and especially to the United States — threatening a hard fight in the event of war.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • That’s hard to imagine of a president who uses the office to promote and prosper from his own brand name.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • Every cybersecurity article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors.
    — Brian Sloan, CNBC, 3 July 2026
  • This improves both customer and agent experience, while still meeting rigorous business standards around accuracy, reliability, and risk management.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of rigorous
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ramp (up)
ramrod
rams
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ramrod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ramrod. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ramrod

Nglish: Translation of ramrod for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All