stickler

[ stik-ler ]

noun

1. a person who insists on something unyieldingly (usually followed by for ):

   a stickler for ceremony.

   Synonyms: purist, perfectionist, fanatic

2. any puzzling or difficult problem.

   Synonyms: mystery, riddle, puzzle

stickler

/ ˈstɪklə /

noun

1. usually foll by for a person who makes insistent demands

   a stickler for accuracy

2. a problem or puzzle

   the investigation proved to be a stickler

Word History and Origins

Origin of stickler¹

First recorded in 1530–40; stickle + -er ¹

Example Sentences

A stickler for defense, Cronin had yelled at Harris and threatened to throw him out of a recent practice that was open to reporters because the guard was not executing traps to the coach’s liking.

From Los Angeles Times

"I'm a stickler for the rules," said the 2021 captain, who is at this week's Irish Open.

From BBC

If brat described our wild and unapologetically messy summers, then exemplary manners, politeness and being a stickler for rules is what's taking us into autumn.

From BBC

Her mother, Anne, was a stickler for “pure” and ladylike behavior, which cramped Alice’s imagination.

From Los Angeles Times

“He was a stickler for even the tiniest of details and lived by the philosophy that ‘less is more,’” his wife, Windsor Johnston, an NPR reporter and anchor, wrote on Facebook on Monday.

From New York Times