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
As the most mysterious of the three amateur detectives/podcasters at the center of Only Murders in the Building, Mabel (Selena Gomez) is initially a tough nut to crack.
—
Marcus Jones, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2022
There are many other types of oaks to love, and telling them apart can be a tough nut to crack.
—Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023
For organizations layered in functional metrics and driving a cost agenda, this is a tough nut to crack.
—Lora Cecere, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
The military is always a hard nut to crack, as many of us know from working in journalism over the years, and in this case, for example, the defendants were under a gag order not to talk.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
Until recently, his home base of Brussels had been a tough nut to crack.
—Sarah Medford, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2022
The son of an infamous modelling agent blessed with perfect rockstar looks and a gift for offhand melodies, Casablancas is a tough nut to crack.
—Andrew Barker, Variety, 24 Jan. 2022
The military is always a hard nut to crack, as many of us know from working in journalism over the years, and in this case, for example, the defendants were under a gag order not to talk.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
Honestly, New England is a hard nut to crack for fantasy.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2022
Marcus Jones, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2022
There are many other types of oaks to love, and telling them apart can be a tough nut to crack.
—Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023
For organizations layered in functional metrics and driving a cost agenda, this is a tough nut to crack.
—Lora Cecere, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
The military is always a hard nut to crack, as many of us know from working in journalism over the years, and in this case, for example, the defendants were under a gag order not to talk.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
Until recently, his home base of Brussels had been a tough nut to crack.
—Sarah Medford, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2022
The son of an infamous modelling agent blessed with perfect rockstar looks and a gift for offhand melodies, Casablancas is a tough nut to crack.
—Andrew Barker, Variety, 24 Jan. 2022
The military is always a hard nut to crack, as many of us know from working in journalism over the years, and in this case, for example, the defendants were under a gag order not to talk.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2022
Honestly, New England is a hard nut to crack for fantasy.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a hard/tough nut (to crack).' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“A hard/tough nut (to crack).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20hard%2Ftough%20nut%20%28to%20crack%29. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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