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
Final Thoughts Like most decision-making in business, there are no hard-and-fast rules.
—
Lisa Zeiderman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Some of this came about due to the emergence of the internet and a hard-and-fast push to boost the conference and interactive space of SXSW.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Lisa Zeiderman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Some of this came about due to the emergence of the internet and a hard-and-fast push to boost the conference and interactive space of SXSW.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
-
Last year Republicans passed legislation to reduce spending on federal health programs and food assistance, largely by imposing work requirements on people receiving aid and by shifting certain costs onto the states.—
Ali Swenson,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Late last year, shareholders voted to approve a new pay package that could be worth $1 trillion, paid out in 12 tranches, if Tesla hits certain milestones, including market cap gains and operational achievements, over the next decade.—
Robert Frank,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Privacy advocates have warned about the risks of identity verification like World’s, as iris scans are unchangeable and could cause all manner of havoc in the wrong hands.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order proclaiming that the U.S. recognizes only two unchangeable sexes, male and female.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The prosecution said a medical report noted Lai’s general health condition remained stable.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Mohan highlighted that a favorable mix shift to higher capacity HDDs, stable pricing, and a focus on cost improvements could fuel gross margin above 50%, an operating margin of more than 40%, and EPS higher than $20.—
TipRanks,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Given the themes of mental illness and its treatments, those who follow meditation may note the allusion to the Blue Sky practice, where thoughts and emotions are seen as passing clouds against the backdrop of a constant, unchanging blue sky that represents the mind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
-
What a transformation that would’ve been, of the effortful, unchanging days.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
With Super Bowl Sunday just about here, hosts across America are pulling together grocery lists and final preparations for game day.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Murillo’s injury had come right at the end of Forest’s final training session ahead of this game.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The film makes clear that the organization is exclusively the province of white, Anglo-Saxon men, and possible initiates are only tapped when the small, fixed group of existing members die.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
-
There’s little the central bank can do about that because fixed mortgage rates, specifically, don’t directly track the Fed but typically follow the lead of long-term Treasury rates.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But looming is the question of whether the federal immigration officers who pulled the triggers in both cases actually broke the law, a question that will come down to complicated issues that are much harder to define than the outrage that prompted calls for accountability.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Today, Honda as an example will recommend (and most do) to drive gently for the first 600 miles (avoiding hard acceleration) and to vary engine speed.—
John Paul,
The Providence Journal,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
