Definition of hard-pressednext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hard-pressed Even if the bullpen had been perfect after Rodriguez left, the Angels still would have been hard-pressed to win with the current state of their lineup. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 The fact that most non-Natives, and many Natives as well, would be hard-pressed to put together a list of Native American foods—that’s colonization in action. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 American consumers are hard-pressed to remember a time when inflation wasn’t on their minds. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 July 2026 Dominant streaming platform Netflix reports earnings after the bell on Thursday, and analysts are sounding hard-pressed to find a meaningful driver for the stock. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
  • University leaders and state lawmakers from these rural Oklahoma are perplexed to find themselves in the crosshairs of this culture war issue.
    — Andrea Eger, Oklahoma Watch, 6 Sep. 2026
  • View this post on Instagram Many commenters were perplexed to see new content from Hilton’s account pop up.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Thanks to the coffered and baffled wood ceilings, noise levels are buffered and kept to a pleasant rumble.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The idea of there being two movies about concrete in the first place is baffling to me; Wilson, on the other hand, seems baffled that such a situation would stop a studio from greenlighting a project.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • When kids first got online, parents were bewildered and alarmed, but kids, who tend to gravitate to new technology, found freedom in a space that was basically ungoverned.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The demonstrators seemed embarrassed by the fact that they had been brought there by an Ed Sheeran concert.
    — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
  • And the embarrassed-but-still-Super-Bowl-favorite Rams are eager for the opportunity.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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