hard-earned
adjective
: achieved or acquired through a lot of effort or hard work
Someone stole all her hard-earned money.
a hard-earned victory
Examples of hard-earned in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her advice to others, particularly women taking creative control, is simple and hard-earned: Hang tight.
—
Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
The work ethic came in handy at Aledo High School, a place with extremely successful athletics where every opportunity is hard-earned.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025
And then, finally, Max Muncy walked it off with a sacrifice fly to deep center, easily scoring Ohtani from third for a victory that felt both hard-earned and hardly deserved.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Neither team cheats for offense, every inch of ice is hard-earned.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And their reputation is hard-earned, in particular because being a woman in the business means being held to a unique standard.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The increasing presence of women on the Row has been hard-earned, says Mila who finds the profession at times lonely grappling with the still considerable gender gap.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
These key announcements were hard-earned and well-deserved.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
But both the hope and dignity feel hard-earned and authentic.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
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Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 4 June 2025
The work ethic came in handy at Aledo High School, a place with extremely successful athletics where every opportunity is hard-earned.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025
And then, finally, Max Muncy walked it off with a sacrifice fly to deep center, easily scoring Ohtani from third for a victory that felt both hard-earned and hardly deserved.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Neither team cheats for offense, every inch of ice is hard-earned.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
And their reputation is hard-earned, in particular because being a woman in the business means being held to a unique standard.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
The increasing presence of women on the Row has been hard-earned, says Mila who finds the profession at times lonely grappling with the still considerable gender gap.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2025
These key announcements were hard-earned and well-deserved.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
But both the hope and dignity feel hard-earned and authentic.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-earned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-earned. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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