have a hard time
idiom
: to experience difficulty doing something
She's having a hard time living within her budget.
The school has had a hard time recruiting substitute teachers.
He's been having a hard time with his research paper.
Examples of have a hard time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The former track athlete doesn’t have a hard time keeping pace with wide receivers downfield.
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
This means that even if lack of sleep plays a genuine role in increasing your injury risk, studies like this will have a hard time proving it.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
This was the season the NFL had a hard time getting a performer for the halftime show in the aftermath of the blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Even the two great singers and pianist Lang Lang would have had a hard time matching the sheer star power of Charlize Theron quoting her fellow South African Nelson Mandela on the power of peace in the middle of the giant stadium.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for have a hard time
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Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
This means that even if lack of sleep plays a genuine role in increasing your injury risk, studies like this will have a hard time proving it.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
This was the season the NFL had a hard time getting a performer for the halftime show in the aftermath of the blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Even the two great singers and pianist Lang Lang would have had a hard time matching the sheer star power of Charlize Theron quoting her fellow South African Nelson Mandela on the power of peace in the middle of the giant stadium.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for have a hard time
Cite this Entry
“Have a hard time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20a%20hard%20time. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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