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
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Featuring the show’s slogan over a sunny pop of color, this sturdy ceramic mug holds a generous 15 ounces of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, and is your Immunity Idol against a dull routine.—
Brittany Anas,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
7 Apr. 2026
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In colder hardiness zones, choose a hardy variety such as ‘Arp’ or ‘Hill Hardy’.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Royal Bahamian police said Brian Hooker told investigators that his wife fell over from an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy — along with the keys to the boat — and she was carried away by strong rip currents.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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The National Weather Service says strong winds could generate breaking waves of 8 feet causing dune erosion and road overwash.—
Mark Price
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Isolated by its beautiful, rugged mountains, West Virginia sits entirely within Appalachia and has long been listed at the bottom of a laundry list of failings, including poor health and a lack of education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Here, the sun cast stark, dramatic shadows across the moon’s steep cliffs, rugged ripples and seemingly bottomless craters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As the inspirational Moon glides into your 7th House of Allies, your expressive nature invites connection, and your generous spirit lightens tough conversations.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
One factor is that the Highlanders, a Division 3 team, haven’t faced the toughest schedule.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ann Dowd reprises her role as the hardened Aunt Lydia, who pairs two teenagers, Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), in a friendship that will change the course of history.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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The sand mound in question is reportedly approximately 108 feet tall, made of hardened sand rather than bedrock.—
Ryan Brennan
April 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That vigorous growth can actually be a fun talking point for kids learning about how plants behave differently — and why some need a little extra management.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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Mowing may be time consuming but is a critical part of maintaining a vigorous lawn.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Willy laments to his stout and thankless wife, Linda (Laurie Metcalf, upholding her reputation as a Broadway MVP), that buyers on the road laugh at him — that one even called him a shrimp.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
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Pennington and his wife, Babe — the daughter of his meat supplier — moved Damburger to its current spot behind the Shasta County elections office in 1962 and hired Marge Thayer, a stout woman with a bouffant bob who remembered every regular’s exact order, if not their name.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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