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
David Spade learned that lesson the hard way and spent the next two decades paying for it after his infamous Saturday Night Live joke making fun of Eddie Murphy's budding movie career in the mid '90s.
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Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That's a lesson Southwest Airlines learned the hard way three years ago, when a major winter storm slammed much of the country.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
Wren Ingram found out how a metal ring's rigidity can become an issue the hard way.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Miami’s administration learned the hard way.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
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Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
That's a lesson Southwest Airlines learned the hard way three years ago, when a major winter storm slammed much of the country.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
Wren Ingram found out how a metal ring's rigidity can become an issue the hard way.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Miami’s administration learned the hard way.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 21 Dec. 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 30 Dec. 2025.
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