as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
they will be hard-pressed to come up with any facts that actually support their argument
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Recent Examples of hard-pressed
Salmon and steelhead anglers will be hard-pressed to find a better rod than the Okuma X-Series.
—
Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Longtime viewers would be hard-pressed to name a character more pivotal than Maggie and a star more watchable than Rogers.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 30 July 2025
In fact, most shoppers who are in the market for a used vehicle would be hard-pressed to find a 3-year-old model below even $30,000, forget finding one for $20,000.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Factor in a four-hour charging time via a conventional 110-volt outlet, and users would be hard-pressed to need much more in a week’s worth of commuting, grocery and errand runs, and so on.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Longtime viewers would be hard-pressed to name a character more pivotal than Maggie and a star more watchable than Rogers.
—Ryan Coleman Published, EW.com, 30 July 2025
In fact, most shoppers who are in the market for a used vehicle would be hard-pressed to find a 3-year-old model below even $30,000, forget finding one for $20,000.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 15 July 2025
Factor in a four-hour charging time via a conventional 110-volt outlet, and users would be hard-pressed to need much more in a week’s worth of commuting, grocery and errand runs, and so on.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
-
Stitching the clip with a few seconds of footage of the parade singer’s breathless live rendition of the self-love anthem — performed in front of a gathering on the National Mall — Lizzo then cuts to a shot of herself staring pointedly at the camera, looking perplexed and disgusted.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
16 June 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement Cole Palmer looked perplexed and frustrated as Donald Trump stood in front of him, smiling and clapping, even as FIFA President Gianni Infantino could be seen unsuccessfully urging the U.S. President to move aside so as not to obstruct the team’s celebrations.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Scientific experts who constantly monitor the Earth's rotation seem a bit baffled and amused that a few slightly more-speedy-than-normal spins this summer have captured the public's imagination.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
22 July 2025
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And finally, a baffled daughter-in-law shared that her mother-in-law took it upon herself to write directly on their back door—with a green pen.—
Cameron Schoppa
Alex Backus,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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Olivia, bewildered and frightened, runs to the vast body of Tierra del Fuego to look for him.—
Jason Liwag,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
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Whites, bewildered and self-righteous, would find their way to Reagan.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Democratic state legislators should be embarrassed too.—
Chris Powell,
Hartford Courant,
4 Aug. 2025
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His grandmother felt embarrassed when guests noticed its absence, but to them, the house was still their castle.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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