hard put

as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do she was hard put to explain her department's excessive expenditures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hard put Arendt, who was accused of smuggling anti-Semitic literature out of the library to expose Hitler’s intentions to the West, defends her innocence with such intellectual rigor, conviction, and charm that the audience, like the interrogator, is hard put to decipher the truth. airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024 Many Americans, while understanding that Washington was essential to the success of the revolution in his role as commanding general, would be hard put to explain why he is so highly ranked as president. Sara Georgini, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2024 From Brazil to Germany, companies are hard put to crew up, such is the demand by series and movies. John Hopewell, Variety, 10 May 2023 This item, which has more in common with a tabletop decoration than a functioning reticule, would be hard put to accommodate a hairbrush; a cellphone would dwarf it. Lynn Yaeger, Town & Country, 22 Jan. 2023 Japan itself, with a stagnant economy and the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, will be hard put to sustain the necessary military buildup. Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022 But this is a tale of two women, and you’d be hard put to nominate one of them as the obvious heroine, or to say who is sweating under the greater stress. The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2022 But with an evenly split Senate, and Democrats hard put to get to the 60-vote threshold needed to prevent Republicans from blocking their bills, Ms. Sinema – together with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia – has come under particular fire for her refusal to scrap the filibuster. Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard put
Adjective
  • Another surprise that has long perplexed researchers is those algorithms’ knack for their own, strange kind of creativity.
    Webb Wright, Wired News, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The exhibition matchup is already creating controversy and has some perplexed, given both fighters were headed down very different paths.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The clear stance that the club has spent every available penny of their PSR allowance left many baffled, but the club’s accounts over the coming years will reveal all.
    Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
  • And my parents are even baffled.
    McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • So if you have been swindled, don't be embarrassed.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Moments like this could leave someone feeling embarrassed or defensive, but Abrianna tends to respond with humor.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Wednesday confronts Bianca, who is bewildered about her Siren-song not sticking; Wednesday is taking control of things now and Bianca needs to trust her.
    Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Layered in cream, bruised, bewildered, bald.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hard put.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard%20put. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!