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
Applicants who applied at the last minute, but were caught in the latest system outage, learned this lesson the hard way.
—
Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
And our current president is realizing that the hard way.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
From overzealous in-laws-to-be to an ancient family curse, Rachel eventually learns the hard way that Nicky is not the one.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
The lessons that Western Maryland learned the hard way echo today.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the hard way
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Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
And our current president is realizing that the hard way.
—S.e. Cupp, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
From overzealous in-laws-to-be to an ancient family curse, Rachel eventually learns the hard way that Nicky is not the one.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026
The lessons that Western Maryland learned the hard way echo today.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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