1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-boiled
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
—
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
Adjective
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Tracey recalls how her ruthless daughter sought revenge on her father, classmates and Laura.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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In the epic Emperor Kisra (Kingsley) has a reputation for being utterly ruthless.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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See our review The 2026 Hyundai Palisade is bigger and smarter, just don’t expect more power The six-figure 2025 Lexus LX Hybrid takes full-size luxury to new heights.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Portable smart tire pressure monitors screw onto the valve stem and connect to your phone, offering real-time updates and alerts for slow leaks.—
Melanie Marshall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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If Hollow Knight was demanding, Silksong is merciless.—
Keller Gordon,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
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In 1918, Bolshevik secret police forced Anastasia Romanov and her imperial family into a damp basement to face a merciless firing squad.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the complicated, thorny, offensive, manipulative, sometimes hilarious, sometimes uncomfortable video interview, which evokes the feeling of an uncle sitting down with his hardheaded nephew, Thug is reeling and full of so much anxiety that his legs are shaking.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
11 Sep. 2025
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Flash mobs in the Loop are a real problem demanding hardheaded solutions.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Instead of viewing this as a lack of ambition, astute employers will recognize it as a wake-up call about what motivates the future workforce in a post-social contract age.—
Cynthia Pong,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Whereas the former revealed the many ways in which the responsibility for keeping families and communities together falls on women (an observation that informs the new series as well), Ingelsby’s latest makes an astute study of guilt, revenge, and forgiveness.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Dolphins hardly targeted veteran cornerback Xavien Howard, who was playing in his first NFL game in over a year, in Week 1, but on Sunday, the Broncos clearly thought Howard was a weak link.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Fields' status for Week 3 is up in the air and because of that, New York is prepping veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor in case he is needed Sunday.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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Our new identity was built for the digital-first, culture-savvy, information-hungry generation.—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The deadline day signing of Kolo Muani was a shrewd move to give him another option.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Craig has played shrewd detective Blanc in 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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