How to Use hard-nosed in a Sentence

hard-nosed

adjective
  • The hard-nosed winger was too kind to his old team on Tuesday.
    Joe Smith, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Canales is also eager to add more hard-nosed players in the draft.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2025
  • His talent for the work, and hard-nosed tactics, showed early.
    Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
  • For sheer, hard-nosed craftiness, Myron was right up there with Gomer Pyle.
    William Jeanes, Car and Driver, 9 Apr. 2023
  • The Hawks, a team that embraces hard-nosed play, will need to match the Cardinals’ ability to dictate the pace.
    Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Mar. 2023
  • And that's just playing hard-nosed, blue-collar, grind-it-out baseball.
    Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023
  • What to know: A hard-nosed team playing tight defense and holding opponents to the fewest points per game (51.8).
    Michael Waterloo, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Originally a walk-on linebacker, Hatch is known more for his hard-nosed style of play.
    Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2023
  • Schwartz has a hard-nosed and old-school reputation, but with a twist of attitude.
    Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Even their hard-nosed editor might think that’s going a little too far for your job.
    Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The tenacious point guard is venerated by Celtics fans for his hard-nosed play and hustle.
    Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2023
  • Hard worker gives you his all every shift and his hard-nosed playing style will translate well at the next level.
    Kyle Woodlief, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023
  • When the Mavs rolled out of bed and looked in the mirror this morning, many of them probably saw someone who doesn’t play enough hard-nosed defense.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024
  • This was the essence of Roosevelt’s hard-nosed, pragmatic belief in peace through action, not merely through words and ideas.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Dec. 2024
  • He was raised by his mother and grandmother — a hard-nosed prune farmer whom McGuire credits for his career.
    Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024
  • Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
    Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
  • Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
    Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Phillips, the hard-nosed, third-round slot corner from Kentucky, was in the middle of several fights and skirmishes.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
  • Train cars are an arena to verbally spar with hard-nosed reporters who are thoroughly won over by the mouths of these boys.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
  • The Ginza store seemed to have spun out of Xu’s own romantic yearnings rather than hard-nosed business logic.
    Chang Che, The New Yorker, 30 July 2024
  • The hard-nosed slot receiver also finished with the the ninth-best pass blocking grade among Power Five wideouts.
    Nick Moyle, San Antonio Express-News, 7 Apr. 2023
  • Jim Hiller is sticking to the hard-nosed, defense-first philosophy that got the Kings to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs — and no further — in each of the last three seasons.
    Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2024
  • Stover is essential to this team’s identity as a leader and hard-nosed on-field presence.
    Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
  • The website may have high-minded ideals, but their termination agreements are full of hard-nosed legalese.
    Kelsey Piper, Vox, 18 May 2024
  • But Israelis should ask themselves how well the hard-nosed, forever-war approach has worked in practice.
    David Ignatius, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
  • In addition to Jacob Furphy, a 6-foot-6 hard-nosed wing from Australia.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Browning is a naturally gifted pass-rusher and a hard-nosed worker but has struggled to stay on the field.
    Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Fickell has the same hard-nosed approach on defense that should continue the success Wisconsin has enjoyed on that side of the ball.
    Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023
  • That leads us to Brent Seabrook and his 1,114 games, a classic example of the dependable, hard-nosed blueliner archetype that will show up often on this list.
    Sean McIndoe, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Or perhaps the Chargers would be wise to draft a hard-nosed running back to take some of the burden off Herbert’s shoulders and diversify the offense.
    Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-nosed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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