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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No matter what someone’s day entails, a sturdy tote bag is sure to come in handy.—
L. Daniela Alvarez,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Sep. 2025
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If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Most varieties are hardy in Zones 5-9, and some, like English lavender, can handle extreme cold and harsh winter weather.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Warm-weather plants, like peppers, should only be planted outdoors after your last frost date of spring, but cold-hardy crops, like brassicas, can be planted earlier.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, while vision isn’t their strongest sense, dogs may even be able to see certain aspects of a TV show.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
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The young right-hander put together a strong season, but few were better after the All-Star break.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The volume opens with a photo of TCU’s Land Acknowledgment monument, a rugged, granite boulder with a circular bronze plaque.—
Hollace Ava Weiner,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
-
There was a lull from mid-March through the end of the regular season — the team, at least at the time, pointed to a rugged schedule with trips all over the country sandwiched around brief stops at home — but when the playoffs began, well, the Cavs had the best series, statistically, in history.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Lammens was perhaps fortunate to escape sanction then (Stuart Atwell booked the forward for diving), but this was a valuable occasion ahead of tougher tests, beginning at Anfield.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There will be some tough picking in there, but typically the predicting business gets a little easier in region play.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Pueblo police began investigating the case in January 2024 after someone called 911 about a suspicious metal container filled with hardened concrete in a storage unit in the 600 block of West Sixth Street.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
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Phrynoderma Vitamin A deficiency can lead to a skin condition called phrynoderma, a type of follicular hyperkeratosis that causes small, hardened bumps on areas of the body such as the shoulders, buttocks, elbows, and knees.—
Laura Schober,
Health,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Divide plants into clumps with three to five vigorous shoots each, discarding any small, weak, or woody portions.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
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Only 22% of kids did moderate-to-vigorous exercise before bed, in rare, short bouts.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Aztecs are stout enough defensively to contend for the Mountain West title, as long as the offense keeps turnovers to a minimum.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
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This unit won’t improve until Miami’s rookie defensive linemen improve, becoming more stout against the run, or Miami ads a veteran defensive lineman (say Christian Wilkins).—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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