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
One driver learned the hard way that even a freeway that's been plowed can still have icy, slick spots to cause out-of-control spins.
—
J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
And the Bears found that out the hard way, even after another miraculous comeback, using more final-minute heroics from Caleb Williams to tie the game at 17 with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The rest will learn the hard way, one crisis at a time.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Training terrain the hard way The robot is modeled with 12 degrees of freedom and controlled using a hierarchical structure.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 2026
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J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
And the Bears found that out the hard way, even after another miraculous comeback, using more final-minute heroics from Caleb Williams to tie the game at 17 with 18 seconds remaining in regulation.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The rest will learn the hard way, one crisis at a time.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
Training terrain the hard way The robot is modeled with 12 degrees of freedom and controlled using a hierarchical structure.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Jan. 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 28 Jan. 2026.
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