Synonyms
- adamant
- adamantine
- bullheaded
- dogged
- hard
- hardened
- hardheaded
- headstrong
- immovable
- implacable
- inconvincible
- inflexible
- intransigent
- mulish
- obdurate
- obstinate
- opinionated
- ossified
- pat
- pertinacious
- perverse
- pigheaded
- self-opinionated
- self-willed
- stiff-necked
- stubborn
- unbending
- uncompromising
- unrelenting
- unyielding
- willful
- wilful
Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Walt Garrison, a hard-nosed running back for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s and ’70s and a member of the ProRodeo Hall of Fame who became a cult hero in Texas, his home state, as the rare Cowboy who actually was a cowboy, has died.
—
Alex Williams, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023
Schwartz has a hard-nosed and old-school reputation, but with a twist of attitude.
—Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
Jason Williams:How hard-nosed dad, doubting teacher shaped Cincinnati Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield
Corey Kiner also went over 100 yards for the second time in his career with 105.
—Scott Springer, The Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2023
Anderson Cooper is a hard-nosed professional journalist, a serious guy by-day.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023
Keep and eye out for running back Martin Blake, a 5-foot-6, 205-pound sophomore walk-on who could become a fan favorite with his hard-nosed running style and surprisingly soft hands out of the backfield.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
Stover is essential to this team’s identity as a leader and hard-nosed on-field presence.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
Walsh, a tough, hard-nosed runner, is back after a 1,319-yard, 17-TD season.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023
The goal would be to find hard-nosed bargains that work for both sides and are not encumbered by demands for permanent fealty or prohibitions on Turkish relations with Russia or China.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2023
See More
Alex Williams, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023
Schwartz has a hard-nosed and old-school reputation, but with a twist of attitude.
—Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
Jason Williams:How hard-nosed dad, doubting teacher shaped Cincinnati Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield
Corey Kiner also went over 100 yards for the second time in his career with 105.
—Scott Springer, The Enquirer, 2 Sep. 2023
Anderson Cooper is a hard-nosed professional journalist, a serious guy by-day.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2023
Keep and eye out for running back Martin Blake, a 5-foot-6, 205-pound sophomore walk-on who could become a fan favorite with his hard-nosed running style and surprisingly soft hands out of the backfield.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
Stover is essential to this team’s identity as a leader and hard-nosed on-field presence.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
Walsh, a tough, hard-nosed runner, is back after a 1,319-yard, 17-TD season.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023
The goal would be to find hard-nosed bargains that work for both sides and are not encumbered by demands for permanent fealty or prohibitions on Turkish relations with Russia or China.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-nosed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near hard-nosed
Cite this Entry
“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-nosed. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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