hard-liner

plural hard-liners · alternative hardliner

1. A person who takes a firm and uncompromising position on some policy.

   As hard-liners gain power within a group, they drive out moderates; what remains of the group is even more extreme, which drives out even more moderates; and so on.

   2021 January 29, Paul Krugman, “The G.O.P. Is in a Doom Loop of Bizarro”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   Because of what was perceived as his sensitive and fair handling of the "Revere Cases," Butters became the subject of much criticism from hard-liners in law enforcement.

   1980 February 9, Mitzel, “Man Sentenced to Total Of 39 Years on Charges of Child Pornography, Rape”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 28, page 3

   The hardliners, persistent in their belief that the UK would in the end be afforded special treatment by the EU, have served only to undermine the very mandate they seek to protect.

   2019 March 13, Oliver Norgrove, “Hypnotised by cake and unicorns, the Brexit perfectionists have blown it”, in The Guardian

   Antonyms: soft-liner