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
One year ago, Georgetown was deemed too small and too inexperienced – yet the Royals developed a hard-nosed defensive identity that led to their first state championship in program history.
—
Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
For Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a hard-nosed pragmatism is at play.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
While seemingly every other player struggled to hit shots or got in foul trouble, the 5-foot-7 Booher played an integral role, running the offense, making two key shots and playing hard-nosed defense in the Corsairs’ 41-37 loss to Rolling Meadows.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
On Sunday it was revealed that hard-nosed winger Marcus Foligno will miss time with a lower body injury.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-nosed
Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
For Chinese leader Xi Jinping, a hard-nosed pragmatism is at play.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
While seemingly every other player struggled to hit shots or got in foul trouble, the 5-foot-7 Booher played an integral role, running the offense, making two key shots and playing hard-nosed defense in the Corsairs’ 41-37 loss to Rolling Meadows.
—Bobby Narang, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
On Sunday it was revealed that hard-nosed winger Marcus Foligno will miss time with a lower body injury.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-nosed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-nosed
Adjective
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Data readiness, security, integrations, workflow redesign, and building human skills remain stubborn bottlenecks for true AI implementation.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Michigan made only two three-pointers all night but still muscled its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn Connecticut.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But Rojas was adamant about playing Wednesday.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Adelman was adamant his team was playing well before the streak even started brewing.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Spain and Italy have both denied America use of military bases in their territory; Britain, the erstwhile steadfast ally of America, wavered on the issue, too.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
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There’s something agonizingly beautiful in waiting—in longing, in steadfast desire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ann Dowd reprises her role as the hardened Aunt Lydia, who pairs two teenagers, Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), in a friendship that will change the course of history.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
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The sand mound in question is reportedly approximately 108 feet tall, made of hardened sand rather than bedrock.—
Ryan Brennan
April 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-nosed. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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