as in strict
not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards
a hard-line approach to the sentencing of repeat offenders
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Recent Examples of hard-line
There have been daily protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland as progressives rally against the administration’s hard-line policies.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Since it was formed in 1987, Hamas has tethered itself to a hard-line Islamist ideology that does not allow fundamental compromises on issues such as recognition of Israel and the development of Palestine as a secular state.
—Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2025
Takaichi, a hard-line conservative who’s cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her hero, has called for strengthening Japan’s military, and taking a tougher stance against China and North Korea.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
The source said there is only a small handful of senators in each party who are willing to buck their leadership’s hard-line negotiating position.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-line
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Since it was formed in 1987, Hamas has tethered itself to a hard-line Islamist ideology that does not allow fundamental compromises on issues such as recognition of Israel and the development of Palestine as a secular state.
—Mkhaimar Abusada, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2025
Takaichi, a hard-line conservative who’s cited former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as her hero, has called for strengthening Japan’s military, and taking a tougher stance against China and North Korea.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
The source said there is only a small handful of senators in each party who are willing to buck their leadership’s hard-line negotiating position.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-line
Adjective
-
Many residents favor stricter enforcement of immigration rules but have qualms about the current process.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 Oct. 2025
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Ben Mead, managing director of Hohenstein Americas, the largest provider of testing for Oeko-Tex, says some limitations are so strict that even contamination on the machinery from previous runs can show up in testing.—
Sophie Benson,
Vogue,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The discovery of the solar cycle now moved Carrington to undertake a rigorous study of sunspots that soon earned him a reputation as Britain’s premier solar observer.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Public markets offer transparency, governance, and liquidity; private firms, by contrast, often avoid periodic reporting and undergo less rigorous oversight.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-line. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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