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

To reconcile this, retail teams often have to do things the hard way—comparing product identifiers when available, exploring different keywords, or even doing manual competitive shopping if necessary. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore found that out the hard way. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2026

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

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

Rhymes for the hard way

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