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 Eagles learned the hard way with Rodgers.
—
Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For one thing, Zelensky learned a lesson—the hard way—about dealing with the 47th American President.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Mary Steenburgen's son, filmmaker and fellow actor Charlie McDowell, learned this the hard way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Yazeed Al Rajhi — rally driver, cafe chain owner, and most importantly, scion of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest families — found this out the hard way this week.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For one thing, Zelensky learned a lesson—the hard way—about dealing with the 47th American President.
—Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Mary Steenburgen's son, filmmaker and fellow actor Charlie McDowell, learned this the hard way.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
Yazeed Al Rajhi — rally driver, cafe chain owner, and most importantly, scion of one of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest families — found this out the hard way this week.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
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 26 Oct. 2025.
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