a hard/tough nut (to crack)

noun phrase

: a person or thing that is difficult to deal with, understand, or influence

The team's defense is a tough nut to crack.

The problem is a hard nut to crack.

He's a tough nut, but I think I can get him to agree to the contract.

Examples of a hard/tough nut (to crack) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Much of Balachandran’s work the past two decades has focused on pancreatic tumors because the disease is such a tough nut to crack. — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026

Insurance has long been a tough nut to crack for fintech companies. — Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 19 Feb. 2026

As for eliminating those mistakes, that’s been a tough nut for coaches at all levels to figure out. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 Oct. 2025

This one can be a tough nut to crack because geographic, cultural, political, religious, and other types of marinades can shape experiences. — Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

While robot-on-robot competitive play has remained a tough nut to crack, our team also investigated how the robot could play against humans competitively. — IEEE Spectrum, 21 July 2025

As cosmopolitan as Venice is, as historically important as one of Europe’s post-Roman, grand medieval and Renaissance trading posts, the town remains a tough nut to crack, socially speaking. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Although New York may be a tough nut to crack, Waymo remains leagues ahead of the competition. — Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 19 June 2025

The sighting of an extremely rare animal wasn't a hard nut to crack. — Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025