as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the team's hard-nosed coach doesn't make exceptions for anybody
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-nosed
The men were loose-brained now, dulled by aguardiente and whatever narcotic Grejo had shot into himself, but the morning sun might deliver a hard-nosed clarity, the kind that could get Adi killed.
—
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
New Wolverines head coach Kyle Wittingham brings a hard-nosed approach from Utah and will look to stabilize the traditional power after the scandalous exit of Sheronne Moore.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2026
The men sit across virtual desks from virtual interviewers who are both easygoing and hard-nosed to give them the tools for finding employment once they are released.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
With an absence of DNA evidence, Vronsky credited two Fair Lawn police investigators for their hard-nosed, old-fashioned work on the case — Sgt.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-nosed
Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
New Wolverines head coach Kyle Wittingham brings a hard-nosed approach from Utah and will look to stabilize the traditional power after the scandalous exit of Sheronne Moore.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2026
The men sit across virtual desks from virtual interviewers who are both easygoing and hard-nosed to give them the tools for finding employment once they are released.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
With an absence of DNA evidence, Vronsky credited two Fair Lawn police investigators for their hard-nosed, old-fashioned work on the case — Sgt.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-nosed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-nosed
Adjective
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Here are a few extra tips to get an even deeper clean on your window and door tracks, or how to tackle stubborn mold spots that won't go away.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
24 Feb. 2026
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From eliminating multi-hour furnace cycles in glass manufacturing to reengineering how poorly soluble drugs dissolve in the body, Leonard Siebert is applying materials science to two of engineering’s most stubborn bottlenecks.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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First and foremost, Schottenheimer was adamant that this isn’t your grandfather’s approach to a 3-4 defense.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Woodruff, who was then just seventeen years old, has in the years since been adamant that he was pressured by police to incriminate himself and others.—
Austin Elias-de Jesus,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But neither proposal has a clear path to passage with Republican majorities in both chambers and the White House’s steadfast commitment to tariffs.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2026
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My office is steadfast in its commitment to pursuing justice on their behalf.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This puts it safely within the light cruise missile-grade of loitering munitions, suggesting it is probably intended for use against hardened or high-value targets.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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Fabric layers mesh and bond; glass pellets, mother-of-pearl beads, and cables get nestled into crevices, trapped under hardened strata of varnish.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-nosed. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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