Synonyms
- adamant
- adamantine
- bullheaded
- dogged
- hard
- hardened
- hardheaded
- headstrong
- immovable
- implacable
- inconvincible
- inflexible
- intransigent
- mulish
- obdurate
- obstinate
- opinionated
- ossified
- pat
- pertinacious
- perverse
- pigheaded
- self-opinionated
- self-willed
- stiff-necked
- stubborn
- unbending
- uncompromising
- unrelenting
- unyielding
- willful
- wilful
Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence
the team's hard-nosed coach doesn't make exceptions for anybody
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Hiller is sticking to the hard-nosed, defense-first philosophy that got the Kings to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — and no further — in each of the last three seasons.
—
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
In an interview for one of his first journalism jobs, a hard-nosed editor questioned Allen about how his faith background would prepare him for reporting.
—Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 21 May 2024
Dabney was best known for his bad-guy and hard-nosed roles in movies including 9 to 5, Tootsie and You've Got Mail and TV shows including Buffalo Bill and Boardwalk Empire.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
George Johnson, who built a real estate empire in central Arizona and sparked controversy and legal battles throughout his hard-nosed business career, died Tuesday at 92.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2024
Lorene and hard-nosed brothel madam Mrs. Kipfer (Michelle Liu Coughlin) are written pretty close to type, but Mercado and Coughlin breathe appealing life into them.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
As the mother of humanity’s future savior against legions of killer robots, Sarah Connor would likely balk at General Eleanor McCallister, Hamilton’s character on the Syfy series, a hard-nosed officer who initially opposes and then later joins forces with Alan Tudyk’s titular alien.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
McCarthy was a fan favorite at LAFC, as much for his plain-spoken, hard-nosed personality as for his play in goal.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
In an interview for one of his first journalism jobs, a hard-nosed editor questioned Allen about how his faith background would prepare him for reporting.
—Michael Grabell, ProPublica, 21 May 2024
Dabney was best known for his bad-guy and hard-nosed roles in movies including 9 to 5, Tootsie and You've Got Mail and TV shows including Buffalo Bill and Boardwalk Empire.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 18 May 2024
Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
George Johnson, who built a real estate empire in central Arizona and sparked controversy and legal battles throughout his hard-nosed business career, died Tuesday at 92.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2024
Lorene and hard-nosed brothel madam Mrs. Kipfer (Michelle Liu Coughlin) are written pretty close to type, but Mercado and Coughlin breathe appealing life into them.
—Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2024
As the mother of humanity’s future savior against legions of killer robots, Sarah Connor would likely balk at General Eleanor McCallister, Hamilton’s character on the Syfy series, a hard-nosed officer who initially opposes and then later joins forces with Alan Tudyk’s titular alien.
—Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
McCarthy was a fan favorite at LAFC, as much for his plain-spoken, hard-nosed personality as for his play in goal.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-nosed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hard-nosed
Cite this Entry
“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-nosed. Accessed 30 May. 2024.
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