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
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Canales is also eager to add more hard-nosed players in the draft.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2025
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His talent for the work, and hard-nosed tactics, showed early.
—Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
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For sheer, hard-nosed craftiness, Myron was right up there with Gomer Pyle.
—William Jeanes, Car and Driver, 9 Apr. 2023
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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
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And that's just playing hard-nosed, blue-collar, grind-it-out baseball.
—Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023
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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
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Originally a walk-on linebacker, Hatch is known more for his hard-nosed style of play.
—Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2023
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Schwartz has a hard-nosed and old-school reputation, but with a twist of attitude.
—Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
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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
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The tenacious point guard is venerated by Celtics fans for his hard-nosed play and hustle.
—Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2023
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Stover is essential to this team’s identity as a leader and hard-nosed on-field presence.
—Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
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The website may have high-minded ideals, but their termination agreements are full of hard-nosed legalese.
—Kelsey Piper, Vox, 18 May 2024
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But Israelis should ask themselves how well the hard-nosed, forever-war approach has worked in practice.
—David Ignatius, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
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In addition to Jacob Furphy, a 6-foot-6 hard-nosed wing from Australia.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025
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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
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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
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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
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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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