as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
a hard-bitten Apache chief who could endure the scorching heat of the Arizona desert
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Recent Examples of hard-bitten
Her hard-bitten, cynical persona provides a nice juxtaposition to how maudlin so much commentary about motherhood can be.
—
Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
But the sentiments are the razors in the apples: hard-bitten, painful, wise from disappointment, and braced for the next crisis.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Alaska has devolved into a colony of big oil, and its politics have become so closed, hard-bitten, and strident.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2015
Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
But the sentiments are the razors in the apples: hard-bitten, painful, wise from disappointment, and braced for the next crisis.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Alaska has devolved into a colony of big oil, and its politics have become so closed, hard-bitten, and strident.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-bitten
Adjective
-
Better Homes & Gardens Ezra Outdoor Adirondack Chair There are few chairs more classic and durable than an Adirondack chair, and this under-$200 sturdy option is one to add to your front porch, deck, or backyard.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
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One of the world’s sturdiest planes, a C-130, was on standby at Rawalpindi air base to ferry the body to the man’s village.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After years of drought in the Everglades, the ecosystem’s population of the only type of apple snail native to Florida failed to recover, pushing the birds to rely on hardier, non-native species.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
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While there will always be new cleaning gadgets and solutions to try, sometimes the best thing to do is shop your local thrift store for some good, hardy basics.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The sport, therefore, has a strong relationship with the military, with troops in such environments regularly skinning up mountains before skiing back down.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Officers reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the driver, later identified as Lisboa.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The group was returning to the trailhead at the end of its three-day excursion when the deadly incident occurred in rugged, ungroomed terrain near the Pacific Crest Trail.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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On land, day hikers and rugged overnight campers take in colorful endemic birds, island foxes, and a striking landscape.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Takaichi has proposed tougher policies on immigration and foreigners, something that resonates with a growing frustration in Japan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Bryant was tough to stop and scored nine of her 23 points in the first quarter.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This puts it safely within the light cruise missile-grade of loitering munitions, suggesting it is probably intended for use against hardened or high-value targets.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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Fabric layers mesh and bond; glass pellets, mother-of-pearl beads, and cables get nestled into crevices, trapped under hardened strata of varnish.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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They can also be thinned to maintain strong, vigorous shoots.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
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Beans and peas planted as companion plants for peppers can give your plants a nutrient boost and promote more vigorous growth.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Gabriel Vaughn is what the river community would call a stout boater.—
Outside,
Outside,
20 Feb. 2026
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Some centers, like Brook Lopez at his peak with the Milwaukee Bucks or Ivica Zubac before his trade from the LA Clippers, tend to do their work quietly with stout positional defense in drop coverage and strong verticality while taking up an immense amount of space.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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