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
Caleb Kilian learned that the hard way.
—
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
Some companies are learning the hard way that not everything can be outsourced to AI (registration required).
—Karolyn Raphael, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The one major exception is agriculture — and that policy has historical roots dating back to World War II, when the Swiss learned the hard way that food security matters for small countries surrounded by hostile powers.
—Richard W. Rahn, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The Miami Hurricanes learned that the hard way on Saturday.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
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Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 30 May 2026
Some companies are learning the hard way that not everything can be outsourced to AI (registration required).
—Karolyn Raphael, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
The one major exception is agriculture — and that policy has historical roots dating back to World War II, when the Swiss learned the hard way that food security matters for small countries surrounded by hostile powers.
—Richard W. Rahn, Fortune, 27 May 2026
The Miami Hurricanes learned that the hard way on Saturday.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
Cite this Entry
“The hard way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hard%20way. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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