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

Americans would be wise to learn the lessons of history and from the failures of other nations rather than insisting on learning the same lessons the hard way. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026

Companies had to learn the hard way that merchandising skills that meet consumer needs are more important than a website. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026

One flat tire after another, an Atlanta man kept finding nails and screws the hard way. — Emily McLeod, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Some people are already learning about the unpredictability of AI agents the hard way. — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for the hard way

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