hard-fought
adjective
1
: requiring a lot of effort or hard work
He won a hard-fought campaign for reelection.
2
: achieved or acquired through a lot of effort or hard work
a hard-fought victory/triumph
Examples of hard-fought in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The deal represents a genuine achievement — hard-fought, historic in scope, and a testament to the organizing muscle the Guild has built over years of increasingly contentious labor battles.
—
George Heller, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
After weeks of hard-fought — at times nasty — campaigning, Boca Raton residents had their say on Tuesday, reflected in the relatively large numbers of voters appearing at the polls to shape the city’s future.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
The contest was hard-fought throughout, with Memorial holding a 16-13 lead after one quarter of p thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Payton Jones.
—Robert Thomas, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Two of the victories early in district play were extremely hard-fought.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Measles cases had reached a record low in 2004 but were starting to trend up again, just a few years after the US had achieved elimination following a long and hard-fought battle.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
The district is one of the richest in the country and bluest in New York, but the primary is one shaping up to be hard-fought.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Talarico’s numbers are notable and underscore the Senate Democratic primary will be hard-fought as the party eyes the chance to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
George Heller, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
After weeks of hard-fought — at times nasty — campaigning, Boca Raton residents had their say on Tuesday, reflected in the relatively large numbers of voters appearing at the polls to shape the city’s future.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
The contest was hard-fought throughout, with Memorial holding a 16-13 lead after one quarter of p thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Payton Jones.
—Robert Thomas, Dallas Morning News, 27 Feb. 2026
Two of the victories early in district play were extremely hard-fought.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026
Measles cases had reached a record low in 2004 but were starting to trend up again, just a few years after the US had achieved elimination following a long and hard-fought battle.
—Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
The district is one of the richest in the country and bluest in New York, but the primary is one shaping up to be hard-fought.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
Talarico’s numbers are notable and underscore the Senate Democratic primary will be hard-fought as the party eyes the chance to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-fought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-fought. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
