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

The military has spent years testing this the hard way, and the test data is public. — Nir Goldstein, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

The power of film to change the world is real, and in 1991, a group of high school students in New York learned that lesson the hard way. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026

Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps — the one where a Texas high school football team learns the hard way not to disrespect the great state of Florida. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

As Alcaraz found out the hard way at the Paris Olympics, being two of the best singles players in recent history doesn’t always mean much. — James Hansen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for the hard way

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