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
There’s a long trail of quarterbacks who learned the hard way by testing Clark.
—
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Mayor Andre said the city learned the hard way that middle-income affordability projects do not have the same regulations as low-income projects.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
But Disney’s Bob Iger learned the hard way the importance of giving successors a clean slate.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
In a new clip that debuted exclusively at CinemaCon on Monday night, Peter finds out the hard way that Michelle has moved on.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Mayor Andre said the city learned the hard way that middle-income affordability projects do not have the same regulations as low-income projects.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
But Disney’s Bob Iger learned the hard way the importance of giving successors a clean slate.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
In a new clip that debuted exclusively at CinemaCon on Monday night, Peter finds out the hard way that Michelle has moved on.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2026.
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