as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
they will be hard-pressed to come up with any facts that actually support their argument
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Recent Examples of hard-pressed
But the Mountain West and WCC will be hard-pressed to corral even one — not unless the competitive dynamics change and someone becomes the new Utah State or the new Saint Mary’s.
—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
The old plan for Artemis III would have been hard-pressed to launch before the end of 2028.
—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
But both are going to be hard-pressed to deliver on those expectations this March.
—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will be hard-pressed to finish with a similar caliber campaign this time around.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
The old plan for Artemis III would have been hard-pressed to launch before the end of 2028.
—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
But both are going to be hard-pressed to deliver on those expectations this March.
—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will be hard-pressed to finish with a similar caliber campaign this time around.
—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
-
At the time, 95% of the folks working at our theater were either perplexed or disdainful of this project.
-
Olivia stops at an exhibit depicting two Minions, James and Henry (all the Minions are voiced by Coffin), and is perplexed when no one present appears to have heard of them, at least by name.
Adjective
-
Spotted hyenas long baffled naturalists.
-
Everyone looks pretty baffled at what Mwepu Ilunga has done, not least his team-mates.
Adjective
-
Fido was fine, if a little bewildered, and in February 1973, the board lifted its book bans.
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At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
Adjective
-
Practically speaking, shoes are an easier, less expensive and fraught acquisition than clothes (few people are embarrassed by their shoe size).
-
Larry David is pretty, pretty, pretty embarrassed right now.
Cite this Entry
“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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