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
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
Seek shelter in a sturdy structure until the storm has passed.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
These flowers are quite hardy and will thrive in USDA planting zones 2–11.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 June 2026
-
The bush was awash in a golden glow, a searing orange blaze stretching across the horizon where hardy vegetation met the sky.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Catherine Bracy, the CEO of TechEquity, a tech advocacy group that favors stronger AI regulations, speculated that the Anthropic employees were receiving advice to back Becerra because of his frontrunner status.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
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Sinks on the vanity have slanted, green marble angles giving them a trendy look, and the faucet’s water spray is equivalent to a drenching rainfall shower (wide, strong, and incredibly impressive).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Travelers experience Marlborough wine country, Kaikoura wildlife, the Southern Alps, the rugged West Coast, and Queenstown.—
Steve Madgwick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
-
For anyone venturing off-the-grid or out deep in nature, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a top contender as a rugged, adventure-suitable wearable.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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McIlroy bogeyed 18 to finish at one under, squarely in the hunt, considering the tough conditions limited scoring.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
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Parker, a former Eagles assistant, has risen quickly through the NFL coaching ranks and now faces a tough task with a roster full of new faces and high expectations.—
Briana Aldridge,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
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That even once took two hardened ex-pros and pundits, Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, by surprise before a game that William was attending, with George, in Paris in April 2024.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Use a 10-gallon container filled with rich, moist soil for vigorous growth and continuous fruit production, and set it next to a pot of nasturtiums, which attract essential pollinators.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
12 June 2026
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Seven decades later that number has climbed to seventy-three, while those in the richest nations have surpassed an average of over fourscore years, a number the Bible reserves for only the most vigorous among us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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But the run-up under splash hire coach Mauricio Pochettino has been less than encouraging, though a recent 3-2 friendly win over a stout Senegal squad was a positive.—
Greg Cote
June 4,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
The stout, middle-aged man, was due to have cataract surgery in April at the clinic in Catacamas, which sits on the lowest slopes of a bushy hill some four hours east of Tegucigalpa, the country’s capital.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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