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
-
Reintroduced as Aqua Lares in late 2025, the 254-footer is comfortable in the harshest of environments, with a sturdy ice-class hull that can power through practically anything.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
15 May 2026
-
Optimize the wall space by placing belts and bags on sturdy hooks.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Other heuchera species and hardy hybrid plants offer a greater range of colors, although some are not as cold-hardy and are more sensitive to soil and sun conditions.—
Judy Nauseef,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
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As a hardy plant that can withstand cold temperatures and even frost, DePaola explains, asparagus also thrives in areas with cool winters and warm summers.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori continued to provide balance against Atletico three days later, and were also key components to Arsenal’s strong start against West Ham, alongside Leandro Trossard.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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The case that Ashton and Bradley heavily influenced each other is stronger, if also strained.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Located on the doorstep of wild and rugged country, King Salmon serves regularly as a refueling stop for hunting parties and as a place to get information on the location and abundance of game.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
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Developers advertised the rugged mesa—framed by the Santa Monica Mountains to the east and the ocean to the west—as an escape from the dust and noise of the growing city of Los Angeles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each of those teams will be competing for playoff spots again, leaving the Raiders with no easy divisional wins and a tough out-of-division schedule.—
Sam Warren,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The group did just enough against Sale and a tough Braves bullpen to avoid getting shut out for the third time in five games.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Shockwave makes a catheter that emits localized sonic pressure waves to crack hardened plaque in arteries.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Technology challenges Both these systems are aimed at delivering strategic strike capability for neutralizing high-value, time-sensitive targets such as hardened command and control nodes, integrated air defense systems, and critical infrastructure facilities.—
adityajadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
My Costa Rican Hammam Experience included a vigorous scrub-down on a marble slab in the steamy hammam that used a Costa Rican coffee bean exfoliator for a local twist, followed by a heavenly massage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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Many hostas are more vigorous and show their best colors when given some exposure to sun (such as morning sun with afternoon shade).—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Use a deterrent such as a stout stick.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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Throw in another stout performance by the bullpen, which got one scoreless inning apiece from four relievers, and this team is threatening to run away with the NL East before the calendar turns to summer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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