He saw to the steely core of the man, the ultimate source of his immense power and brooding presence.

A cultured man, courteous to a fault, and thoughtful as well, with a reserve that all but hid the steely core within.

The music has a gentle lilt and a steely core.

Behind the sensitive artistry which made him so splendidly satisfying as a lover, there was a steely core of male pride.

He has a kindly, imploring voice that can take on a steely core.

It is a glimpse of a steelier core.

But as an employer, she could be demandingly difficult, with an unyielding, steely core, possessed only by those with utter conviction in the rightness of what they are doing.

Angela Marambio, as Mimi, had a warm, round soprano that peeled down to a steely, thin core as it rose.

But Gray had a steely core of self-confidence and morality that allowed him to look any other man in the eye without flinching.

His friends portray Randall L. Tobias as a "fun guy" whose small-town style and Midwestern affability sometimes mask his steely business-minded core.