as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
it was hard to eke out even a bare existence on the hardscrabble lands
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Recent Examples of hardscrabble
State Republican chairman Ben Proto, who will oversee the convention, pointed to New Britain city hall because it is now run by a Democratic mayor and former state legislator who took over when Stewart declined to seek re-election and left office in the hardscrabble city.
—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Hoyos has come a long way from a hardscrabble childhood.
—
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Through it all, however, West struggled with depression and a sense of self-loathing, and had trouble with intimacy, much of it a by-product of a hardscrabble childhood in West Virginia with a domineering father.
—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Born into Pennsylvania’s German-speaking Mennonite community, Hershey’s first home was a hardscrabble farm near Harrisburg.
—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardscrabble
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
Hoyos has come a long way from a hardscrabble childhood.
—
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Through it all, however, West struggled with depression and a sense of self-loathing, and had trouble with intimacy, much of it a by-product of a hardscrabble childhood in West Virginia with a domineering father.
—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Born into Pennsylvania’s German-speaking Mennonite community, Hershey’s first home was a hardscrabble farm near Harrisburg.
—
Alex Knapp,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardscrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardscrabble
Adjective
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Walking around the tiny outpost offers an understanding of just how vast and desolate this arid part of the country can be.
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In the summer it had been packed with people out on the streets, by the fall is was desolate.
Adjective
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The fires eviscerated many of the plants and trees in and around the burn zones, leaving behind barren lots and charred swaths of parkland.
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There are quite a few interesting options this summer, especially compared to last year’s barren goalie landscape that was headlined by veteran backups.
Adjective
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South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence as migrants from poor nations like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi generally end up settling in impoverished communities in South Africa where unemployment and frustrations are high.
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Dreesen moved to Los Angeles, living on $1 a day and hitchhiking to The Comedy Store, begging for a set and bonding with other impoverished comedians.
Adjective
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The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
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Cher’s court documents paint a bleak picture of how Allman, 49, allegedly blows through his $120,000 annual trust distributions.
Adjective
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Because of that, these hands suffer from high production costs, poor durability against impacts, short operational lifespans, and there are no existing solutions that engineers can readily draw upon, Wang added.
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The extreme heat can also affect people who are physically ill, especially those with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation.
Cite this Entry
“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardscrabble. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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