If there are no results, according to legal officials in the department, a sterner letter will go out, after which the department can levy fines.

On the dressing room door of the Mighty Ducks practice rink is taped a stern letter sent to all teams.

When officials began whispering negatives about the reforms, Cinquanta mailed a stern letter to the leaders of the sport.

Or you could take the time-honoured route of writing a stern letter of dissatisfaction.

Palmer wrote a stern letter of criticism to Strange in 1980, admonishing him to curb his temper and improve his behavior on the course.

A stern letter from the Master and Fellows at Balliol announced that he must leave immediately.

I've got my stern letter typed up ready to go.

I also had a few stern letters to compose, trying to collect from slow-pays (all attorneys, please note), plus bills of my own to pay.

One of our neighbors got a stern letter from the town manager when it was discovered that her window curtains were red.

Before the 1960's, the collection industry mainly used the mail to pry dollars out of debtors, sending them increasingly stern letters.