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
Bartlett’s Lilly White learned the hard way about letting the outcome define the experience.
—
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Former head coach Brian Daboll, who deserved to be fired, just found out the hard way what happens when a collaboration with Schoen suddenly becomes every man for himself.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Regenerative gardening expert Ren Elizabeth found out the hard way when her own mint began to spread all around her garden.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
To be truly great, a team needs both, but only one is essential, which coaches tend to learn the hard way.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Former head coach Brian Daboll, who deserved to be fired, just found out the hard way what happens when a collaboration with Schoen suddenly becomes every man for himself.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026
Regenerative gardening expert Ren Elizabeth found out the hard way when her own mint began to spread all around her garden.
—Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 16 Feb. 2026
To be truly great, a team needs both, but only one is essential, which coaches tend to learn the hard way.
—CBS News, 8 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 2026.
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