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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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-and-fast
Because no hard-and-fast medical test exists for ME/CFS, the condition is sometimes considered more of a psychological than physical ailment.
—
New Atlas, 25 July 2025
One hard-and-fast requirement for playability is at least 16GB of unified RAM.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Elephant parents prefer to let children develop at their own pace, adapting to their needs over any hard-and-fast rules or strict routine.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 2 July 2025
This is not a hard-and-fast rule, which is good because teams bounce around that threshold daily this time of year.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
New Atlas, 25 July 2025
One hard-and-fast requirement for playability is at least 16GB of unified RAM.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2025
Elephant parents prefer to let children develop at their own pace, adapting to their needs over any hard-and-fast rules or strict routine.
—Anna Earl, Parents, 2 July 2025
This is not a hard-and-fast rule, which is good because teams bounce around that threshold daily this time of year.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
-
The bad news is that there are already murmurs in Brussels about piecemeal, incremental measures – harmonizing certain national laws, creating yet another framework for EU member states to fuss over and interpret.—
Jan Hammer,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
How do such regimes exploit certain brain functions or cognitive tendencies?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On the other hand, cooperative and validating communication can help when problems are minor or unchangeable.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The State Department suspended processing applications from Americans seeking to update their passports with a new gender marker in January, shortly after President Trump signed an executive order proclaiming the U.S. recognizes only two unchangeable sexes, male and female.—
Brooke Migdon,
The Hill,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Researchers from Peking University, the University of Cambridge, and partner institutions highlighted that glass is often used to immobilize contaminants such as radionuclides and heavy metals, locking them safely inside a stable structure.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
To rebuild the city, the tunnels will need to be filled to make the ground stable enough for construction.—
Jennifer Griffin , Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Because that's what these young girls feel like when a boy walks into their locker room and starts unchanging in front of them.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
This dark energy, which Einstein labeled with the Greek letter lambda, has long been assumed to be unchanging and reliable through time.—
Rebecca Boyle,
Scientific American,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His family said their final goodbyes to him during an emotional funeral procession on July 30, which took place in Birmingham.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The Las Vegas Raiders are making their final preparations for their Week 7 showdown against the AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Bay Area is a punishing place to grow old on a fixed income.—
Panashe Matemba-Mutasa,
Mercury News,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Under the agreement, the county secures a fixed electricity rate of 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, providing long-term cost stability and protecting taxpayers from future energy price fluctuations.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Peyton Manning had a night in San Diego that remains hard to wrap one’s head around.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But while prosecutors and law enforcement continue doing the hard work of keeping Orange County safe, the County CEO appears intent on undermining that success.—
Todd Spitzer,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share