the hard way
noun
: in a way that involves difficult or painful experiences
He found out the hard way that crime doesn't pay.
She insisted on doing things the hard way.
Examples of the hard way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sullivan has worked his way up the NFL’s smallest, but one of its most historic franchises, the hard way.
—
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Pedro Pascal learned the hard way not to mess with a member of the X-Men.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
Right tackle Colton McKivitz conceded the obvious, while noting the 49ers going through the playoffs the hard way was in keeping with the club’s personality of making things as difficult as possible.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
In 2019, the NBA learned this the hard way when a tweet from then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey regarding Hong Kong led Chinese businesses to freeze out the association for years.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
Pedro Pascal learned the hard way not to mess with a member of the X-Men.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Jan. 2026
Right tackle Colton McKivitz conceded the obvious, while noting the 49ers going through the playoffs the hard way was in keeping with the club’s personality of making things as difficult as possible.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026
In 2019, the NBA learned this the hard way when a tweet from then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey regarding Hong Kong led Chinese businesses to freeze out the association for years.
—Adam Minter, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
Cite this Entry
“The hard way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hard%20way. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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