as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
they will be hard-pressed to come up with any facts that actually support their argument
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Recent Examples of hard-pressed
But the Mountain West and WCC will be hard-pressed to corral even one — not unless the competitive dynamics change and someone becomes the new Utah State or the new Saint Mary’s.
—
Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The old plan for Artemis III would have been hard-pressed to launch before the end of 2028.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
But both are going to be hard-pressed to deliver on those expectations this March.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will be hard-pressed to finish with a similar caliber campaign this time around.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
The old plan for Artemis III would have been hard-pressed to launch before the end of 2028.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
But both are going to be hard-pressed to deliver on those expectations this March.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will be hard-pressed to finish with a similar caliber campaign this time around.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
-
That was intentional, as a smiling Caballero admitted to enjoying the moment after the warning left him perplexed and agitated.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
-
Employees at Alliance for a Better Utah were equally perplexed.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Spotted hyenas long baffled naturalists.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
-
Everyone looks pretty baffled at what Mwepu Ilunga has done, not least his team-mates.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Urged by a call from Hugo to destroy her phone and flee Kansas City fast, before WARDEX can get to her, Margaret also hits the road, accompanied initially by a bewildered Jackson.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Harry was both ‘excited’ and ‘embarrassed’ to bring Meghan there.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
20 June 2026
-
An embarrassed Penny sprints away, setting off a chain of events that intertwine their lives.—
Sarah Kate Ellis,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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