variants
or schoolma'am
as in teacher
US, old-fashioned
a woman who teaches in a school in a small town or in the country
In the movie, she plays a doting schoolmarm in colonial New England.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of schoolmarm
No ruler-wielding schoolmarm can impart the urgency of learning the way hunger can.
—
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
This, to Newsom, is being strong; the right are the fainthearted schoolmarms now.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board took note of the hard-right’s distress, let down its tightly wound schoolmarm bun and snickered right out loud.
—Pat Beall, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
The search for a missing schoolmarm is the focus of an escape room experience at the Lanesfield School, a historic one-room schoolhouse in Edgerton.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
University deans, schoolmarms and human resources managers penned dress codes outright forbidding the garment or relegating it to certain areas.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Visitors can relive a school experience from the early 20th century, complete with a schoolmarm and an outhouse.
—Jshortavon, cleveland, 23 July 2023
Then there’s Jeffrey Wright’s gung-ho military man, Matt Dillon’s bubbleheaded grease monkey, Steve Carell’s apologetic motel owner, Maya Hawke’s friendly schoolmarm, and Rupert Friend’s cowboy loverboy.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2023
In the music video, Gavin plays the titular cheerleader who is smitten with a girl in the program; meanwhile, Bridgers plays the pink-haired schoolmarm in charge, while popular gay comedian Caleb Hearon plays a conflicted gay coach.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2022
John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
This, to Newsom, is being strong; the right are the fainthearted schoolmarms now.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board took note of the hard-right’s distress, let down its tightly wound schoolmarm bun and snickered right out loud.
—Pat Beall, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2025
The search for a missing schoolmarm is the focus of an escape room experience at the Lanesfield School, a historic one-room schoolhouse in Edgerton.
—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2025
University deans, schoolmarms and human resources managers penned dress codes outright forbidding the garment or relegating it to certain areas.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2023
Visitors can relive a school experience from the early 20th century, complete with a schoolmarm and an outhouse.
—Jshortavon, cleveland, 23 July 2023
Then there’s Jeffrey Wright’s gung-ho military man, Matt Dillon’s bubbleheaded grease monkey, Steve Carell’s apologetic motel owner, Maya Hawke’s friendly schoolmarm, and Rupert Friend’s cowboy loverboy.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2023
In the music video, Gavin plays the titular cheerleader who is smitten with a girl in the program; meanwhile, Bridgers plays the pink-haired schoolmarm in charge, while popular gay comedian Caleb Hearon plays a conflicted gay coach.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schoolmarm
Noun
-
My task is to read their unpublished, often unfinished writing—less as a teacher or as an editor than as a cheerfully unlicensed therapist.—
David O’Neill,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
An imam said teachers, students and other school staff members who were at the mosque are safe.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The easier step to take would be to not let your mistress take pictures of you at all, especially not without any clothes on.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
The story follows a respected college basketball coach who is accused of murdering his mistress.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The group included instructor Gianluca Benedetti; Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; and researcher Muriel Oddenino.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
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Culinary instructor Kaylie Kotecki said part of the pizza challenge is research, and students do this by going on the Wise Guys website and seeing what’s on the menu, what different items are called and the common ingredients the restaurant already uses.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Schoolmarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schoolmarm. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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