iron fist

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Iran brought down the iron fist with speed and ferocity we haven’t seen before,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

When the authoritarian leader starts to display physical impairment, the people who have been chafing under his iron fist stop fearing him.

From Salon • Nov. 19, 2025

Former president Suharto, who died in 2008 aged 86, ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for more than three decades after grabbing power in 1967 following a failed military coup.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

It is unlikely that Venkatesham will rule Spurs with an iron fist.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

By then she was an obese woman with a very pretty face, and she ruled her whole roost with an iron fist, including Uncle Isaac, her husband.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride