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
There’s far more to this roster than Edwards and Julius Randle — a lesson the Nuggets are learning the hard way.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Seth Wayne found that out the hard way.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The Magic, meanwhile, earned a spot in the playoffs the hard way this week.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
There’s a long trail of quarterbacks who learned the hard way by testing Clark.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
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Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
Seth Wayne found that out the hard way.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
The Magic, meanwhile, earned a spot in the playoffs the hard way this week.
—CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
There’s a long trail of quarterbacks who learned the hard way by testing Clark.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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