"Ramrod" is a colorful, interesting, semi-common, somewhat violent word. It provides a more distinct image than synonyms like "straight," "rigid," "inflexible," or "unyielding."

You might talk about people ramrodding laws into existence, or ramrodding people into certain positions. "They ramrodded this bill through Congress." "They ramrodded him onto the Supreme Court."

I should mention that the phrase "ramrod straight" is very popular, maybe even a cliché. You might talk about people sitting or standing ramrod straight, or about people's backs or postures being ramrod straight, implying that these folks are rigidly, tightly controlling themselves.

You could get more creative and talk about someone's ramrod focus, attention, or assiduity. Here's Jerry Spinelli: "I saw a man sitting in the back seat... His ramrod attention was better than my own in the courtyard, and he was only sitting."

"Their ramrods clanged loud with fury as their eager arms pounded the cartridges into the rifle barrels."
   — Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, 1871

"He was ramrod tall, and gaunt, with thinning white hair, bushy black eyebrows, and a mouth that looked as though it had never smiled."
   — Susan Beth Pfeffer, The Dead and the Gone, 2008

has this page helped you understand "ramrod"?

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If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "ramrod" without saying "forceful" or "force something through."

try it out:

In an interview with MSNBC, President Biden praised his vice president Kamala Harris, saying "She’s smart as hell. She has a backbone like a ramrod and she has enormous integrity."

Here, we can imagine that the phrase "a backbone like a ramrod" can be both literal (denoting excellent posture) and figurative (connoting strength and integrity).

Talk about someone you know who "has a backbone like a ramrod"—literally, figuratively, or both.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Name that Sketchplanation!"

Check out the sketch below, created by Jono Hey at Sketchplanations.com.

Focus on the title, and see if you can come up with the word or phrase that belongs in the blurry spot. It'll be one we've studied before.

This one requires a bit of context! It shows a four-stage framework for becoming good at things: for developing skills. You start off being bad or unskilled at something and not even knowing it, and you progress to being good or skilled at something and not even having to think about it. So, we're trying to think of the one word that fits into each blurry spot: a word that starts with C and means "skill, or ability."

See the answer on the original Sketchplanation!

And if you like, review the word here.

review this word:

1. Opposites of RAMROD include

A. LAX, RELAXED, and FLEXIBLE.
B. EASED, SOFTENED, and PACIFIED.
C. ADRIFT, UNINSPIRED, and UNAMBITIOUS.

2. The phrase "ramrod posture" suggests _____.

A. energy and restlessness
B. zest, spirit, and vitality
C. control, tension, and rigidity

Answers to the review questions: 1. A 2. C

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.