iron-clad

Impossible to break

Iron-clad means protected by iron armor or, more commonly now, so firm and secure as to be unbreakable.

An iron-clad guarantee or iron-clad alibi leaves no room for doubt or challenge.

The term originated with 19th-century warships covered in iron plates, which were nearly impervious to enemy fire.

That sense of invulnerability transferred to contracts, rules, and arguments that cannot be easily defeated or circumvented.

armored

warship

Armed naval vessel

naval · fleet · monitor · plating · hull · turret · ram · broadside · cannon · ironside

binding

contract

Enforceable written agreement

obligation · promise · covenant · pledge · oath · vow · bond · compact · stipulation · undertaking

indisputable

irrefutable

Impossible to disprove

conclusive · definitive · unquestionable · airtight · bulletproof · foolproof · rock-solid · certain · absolute · decisive

rigid

inflexible

Unable to bend

uncompromising · immutable · fixed · hardened · stern · unrelenting · implacable · adamant · resolute · immovable

Categories
  • ___-clad words
Opposites
strength/durability

iron-cladfragile

Easily broken or damaged

flimsy · weak · delicate · brittle · vulnerable

certainty/inviolability

iron-cladbreakable

Capable of shattering

voidable · revocable · contestable · disputable · questionable

flexibility/rigidity

iron-cladflexible

Able to bend freely

malleable · adaptable · pliable · bendable · elastic

Family

ironclad

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G