the hard way

noun

: in a way that involves difficult or painful experiences

He found out the hard way that crime doesn't pay.

She insisted on doing things the hard way.

Examples of the hard way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As the Stones learned the hard way seven years earlier, grass fires weren’t the only possible dangers at an enormous festival. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Patrick Gorski / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect The White Sox gained more exposure the hard way Tuesday night when Bregman’s ninth-inning base hit handed them another walk-off loss. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Kerry learned this the hard way after allowing Jordan to question what appeared to be a local yokel over the mysterious shooting at a Rushville high school football game. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026

Heated Rivalry actor Dylan Walsh learned the hard way that what happens on Cameo doesn’t stay on Cameo. — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the hard way

• aaa
• alleyway
• alumnae
• anime
• anyway
• arete
• attache
• axillae
• baa
• beaujolais
• bouvier
• breakaway