hard knocks
plural noun
: rough, unsparing treatment (as in use or in life)
Commercial-strength squares—baked clay, ceramic, vinyl or rubber stand up to hard knocks at home.—
Apartment Life
Apartment Life
especially
: difficult or painful experiences or circumstances
This is a testimonial, above all, of hard knocks, from a mother's absence and a family's sacrifice to care for his older, tubercular brother to the betrayal by White House patrons and staff. —Roger Morris
—often used in the phrase school of hard knocks Roger Morris Romances with men are the curriculum you'll need to determine what's right for you and what isn't. I'd prefer if you'd learn quickly and easily, rather than at the school of hard knocks. —Dave Singleton
Dave Singleton Examples of hard knocks in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The design includes a shockproof frame for dealing with life's hard knocks.
—Paul Ridden
may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 2025
Mazzoni, like others, learns from his mistakes, a process his father referred to as the school of hard knocks.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
The movie follows a teenager raised in a farming community in the Eastern department of Jura who embarks on a mission to make a prize-winning wheel of Comté cheese in the face of a series of hard knocks.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
Turns out, all those early hard knocks paid dividends for the younger Bech brother, propelling him to the cusp of an NFL career.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard knocks
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Paul Ridden
may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 2025
Mazzoni, like others, learns from his mistakes, a process his father referred to as the school of hard knocks.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025
The movie follows a teenager raised in a farming community in the Eastern department of Jura who embarks on a mission to make a prize-winning wheel of Comté cheese in the face of a series of hard knocks.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025
Turns out, all those early hard knocks paid dividends for the younger Bech brother, propelling him to the cusp of an NFL career.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard knocks
Cite this Entry
“Hard knocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard%20knocks. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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