1
as in certain
having been established and usually not subject to change
hard-and-fast rules that governed the corporate environment in those days included strictures regarding office dress that were rigidly enforced
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unchangeable
not capable of changing or being changed
hard-and-fast beliefs that are the rock-solid foundation of their religion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hard-and-fast
Roszkowski says there’s no hard-and-fast rule because different rice varieties have different requirements.
—
Audrey Bruno, SELF, 13 May 2025
Think of it more as a guideline than a hard-and-fast rule.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Plus different doctors take different approaches, so there aren’t hard-and-fast rules.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 2 May 2025
The bottom line: Certain lifestyle behaviors and nutrients might influence egg quality in some people—but there isn’t enough research to make a hard-and-fast recommendation.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Audrey Bruno, SELF, 13 May 2025
Think of it more as a guideline than a hard-and-fast rule.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 11 May 2025
Plus different doctors take different approaches, so there aren’t hard-and-fast rules.
—Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 2 May 2025
The bottom line: Certain lifestyle behaviors and nutrients might influence egg quality in some people—but there isn’t enough research to make a hard-and-fast recommendation.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
-
Local officials worry they could even be charged for certain votes on city or county councils.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
1 July 2025
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The findings revealed that certain personal factors influenced which recovery strategies people used.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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The policy change was brought on by President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that there are only two, unchangeable sexes, the VA said.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC News,
17 Mar. 2025
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In his first weeks in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting trans rights, including one stating the U.S. government would recognize only two unchangeable sexes and another barring trans people from military service.—
Brooke Sopelsa,
NBC news,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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The president further argues that lower rates will make financing the ever-increasing federal debt cheaper, a factor which does not play into the Fed’s statutory dual mandate of ensuring maximum sustainable employment and stable prices.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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His early stardom never quite translated into a stable senior career as opportunities dried up in a system overflowing with talent.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Published in 1915, and already widely accepted worldwide by physicists and mathematicians, the theory assumed the universe was static – unchanging, unmoving and immutable.—
Rob Coyne,
The Conversation,
10 June 2025
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Life expectancy continues to climb while our economic and workplace systems remain stubbornly unchanging.—
Avivah Wittenberg-Cox,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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As most readers already know, the Beatles’ final U.S. tour closed the door on touring altogether.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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On the eve of USAID’s final day, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama gathered with former staffers as well as U2 singer and humanitarian Bono on a video call.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Try declaring fixed meal times, choosing default clothes or automating basic routines.—
Akin Akinpelu,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Von Miller and others at the Deutsches Museum knew that fixed holes could not represent the complexity of a moving planet.—
Martin Bush,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Sandoval has received some pay bumps, including a temporary $10,000-a-year bonus for Hawaii special education teachers designed to alleviate shortages in that and other hard-to-staff areas.—
Alia Wong,
USA TODAY,
14 Feb. 2023
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Whether those numbers are an overstatement, or possibly an understatement, is hard to say.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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