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
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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
-
This is partly due to personal preference, but leaving plants standing through winter also helps certain plants grow better and even provides perks to local wildlife.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Forever Fleece joggers, with certain styles on sale for as low as $45.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Richter’s piece floods in, the strings mounting to something freeing but unchangeable.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
26 Nov. 2025
-
On the other hand, cooperative and validating communication can help when problems are minor or unchangeable.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Polk said the astronaut is stable but that diagnostic uncertainty in microgravity prompted NASA to err on the side of bringing the crew member back to Earth.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Treaties assume shared values, stable circumstances, and mutual benefit.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This was a direct contradiction of the leading hypothesis, which was that dark energy was the cosmological constant and, therefore, unchanging.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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Activists with unchanging missions might be easier to pin down (and thus less likely to be forgotten).—
Dara T. Mathis,
The Atlantic,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
With Packers first-year team president Ed Policy likely approaching a decision on LaFleur’s future this offseason before the final year of his contract, LaFleur did himself no favors ahead of those conversations.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who came onstage to present the final award for the night, joked about the standing ovation, with Cheadle noting Clooney did not receive one.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And if no bus runs to your destination, there might be a dolmuş, a yellow van that runs on a fixed route, but stops whenever a passenger requests it and leaves whenever the van is full.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
-
There’s no fixed size for small business security, but a common range is 20 to 25 devices.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Of all my books, Helm has been so hard and so lovingly written.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Regardless, making amends with Ronnie is harder than Lilly would like.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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