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
Inés, the nine-year-old Chilean protagonist of The Meltdown (El Deshielo), the sophomore feature of actress-turned-writer/director Manuela Martelli (God Will Not Help, The Future), is about to find out the hard way how that concept applies to hidden truths and family trauma.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
The dads have learned this the hard way.
—Natalie Escobar, NPR, 12 May 2026
Hood learned that the hard way.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Oversight built on the licensure principles above, before 49 more states have to find out the hard way.
—Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 2026
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
The dads have learned this the hard way.
—Natalie Escobar, NPR, 12 May 2026
Hood learned that the hard way.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 May 2026
Oversight built on the licensure principles above, before 49 more states have to find out the hard way.
—Alon Bergman, STAT, 11 May 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 18 May. 2026.
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