ironclad

Examples

• All

• An ironclad FBI rule: no one enters a hostage situation, ever, for no reason, period.

  Fiction book (1995)

• There is an ironclad agreement... between federal, state and local governments and the Airports Commission.

  The Castle (1997)

• There is at the present time no ironclad way to know that.

• But we have one ironclad rule.

  Dear God (1996)

• Use the Individual Development Plan for information, not as an ironclad rule.

  Blog text (26)

• But that release you signed is ironclad.

  Little Black Book (2004)

• It's not an ironclad rule, but it tends to be a pretty effective one.

  Blog text (34)

• We are, but we want a contract agreement that's ironclad.

  Wall Street (1987)

• He's got an ironclad alibi.

  10 to Midnight (1983)

• The team established an ironclad agreement to ensure that all conditions were met without exception.

Synonyms

H

hard-and-fast

vsironclad

11 5.7

Very clear rules or limits that do not allow change

emphasizes impossible to bypass rather than just strict enforcement

U

unshakeable

vsironclad

• UK

11 4.4

Very firm and cannot be changed or weakened

concerns immutable rules rather than personal resolve

U

unassailable

vsironclad

10 8.0

So strong that no one can attack, defeat, or prove it wrong

focuses more on being unchangeable and impossible to bypass

H

hard-and-fast rule

vsironclad

7 4.5

A fixed instruction you cannot change or adapt

stresses absolute unchangeability rather than being a plain rule

B

bulletproof

vsironclad

5 5.8

Hard to prove wrong

focuses on rules being rigid and not possible to get around

C

carved in stone

vsironclad

• Informal

4 5.7

Fixed and not able to be changed

is similar but used more for formal legal or strong enforcement sense

U

unshakable

vsironclad

• US

2 4.8

Very strong belief or feeling that cannot be changed

is about fixed rules and not general personal certainty

I

indissoluble

vsironclad

• Formal

1 8.8

Cannot be ended or broken, for example a marriage

is about strict, unchangeable rules rather than formal permanence

U

unbendable

vsironclad

1 7.0

Not willing to change your mind even under pressure

targets structural unchangeability of rules rather than resistance to influence

W

watertight

vsironclad

1 5.1

So strong and complete that people cannot prove it wrong

is about fixedness of rules rather than flawlessness of reasoning

U

unattackable

vsironclad

1 8.6

Others cannot attack or harm it

highlights unbreakability and lack of loopholes rather than immunity to attack

B

brassbound

vsironclad

1 9.9

Very strict about rules or ways and unlikely to change

is narrower, focused on formal rules being formally unchangeable

I

ironbound

vsironclad

1 7.9

Fixed and not open to change, often about rules or positions

adds the idea of strictness rather than just being fixed

Antonyms

F

flexibleness

4.1

The ability to bend or change shape without breaking

Compounds

I

ironclad alibi

2 5.8

Very strong proof that someone was somewhere else and cannot be proved wrong

I

ironclad agreement

1 4.6

A legally binding deal that is very hard to break

I

ironclad resolve

7.5

A very firm decision to keep trying

How Binding

unbreakable

27 2.7

ironclad

19 7.4

binding

• Formal

72 4.6

firm

43 1.0

flexible

140 3.4

nonobligatory

• Formal

1 6.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology