iron curtain
noun
1
: a political, military, and ideological barrier that cuts off and isolates an area
specifically, often capitalized
: one formerly isolating an area under Soviet control
2
: an impenetrable barrier
the iron curtain between the ego and the unconscious—
C. J. Rolo
C. J. RoloExamples of iron curtain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many Russians who managed to escape Putin’s iron curtain are now facing the same terrifying fate, only this time the destination isn’t an accident.
—Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
Taking inspiration from the Chinese Communist Party, the Kremlin has sought to build a digital iron curtain, outlawing Instagram and Facebook and throttling YouTube, which nearly half of Russians over the age of 12 had previously used daily.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
The nation’s poet laureate is Time magazine, its much-mocked style rendered here as verse:
on both sides of the iron curtain
the world heard with a thrill
of east berlin’s
rebellion in the rain …
As the execution nears, crowds stream into Times Square.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The film, which is set in 1991, sees Holocaust survivor and father (Fry) and stubborn daughter (Dunham) reunite, reconcile and chart a course for Poland to visit the father’s family home the moment the iron curtain falls.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 13 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for iron curtain
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Air Mail, 25 Oct. 2025
Taking inspiration from the Chinese Communist Party, the Kremlin has sought to build a digital iron curtain, outlawing Instagram and Facebook and throttling YouTube, which nearly half of Russians over the age of 12 had previously used daily.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
The nation’s poet laureate is Time magazine, its much-mocked style rendered here as verse:
on both sides of the iron curtain
the world heard with a thrill
of east berlin’s
rebellion in the rain …
As the execution nears, crowds stream into Times Square.
—Alexander Nazaryan, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The film, which is set in 1991, sees Holocaust survivor and father (Fry) and stubborn daughter (Dunham) reunite, reconcile and chart a course for Poland to visit the father’s family home the moment the iron curtain falls.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 13 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for iron curtain
Cite this Entry
“Iron curtain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iron%20curtain. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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