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
Lottery winners of prizes past have learned, sometimes the hard way, the value of anonymity when coming into a large amount of money.
—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Kempczinski is far from the first fast food chief executive to discover the hard way that their off-the-cuff remarks can take on a second life across social media.
—Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
In the second quarter, Robinson learned that the hard way.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Many Western cities have learned the hard way about not securing enough water to fight wildfires.
—David Marston, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
Kempczinski is far from the first fast food chief executive to discover the hard way that their off-the-cuff remarks can take on a second life across social media.
—Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
In the second quarter, Robinson learned that the hard way.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Many Western cities have learned the hard way about not securing enough water to fight wildfires.
—David Marston, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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