hardhanded

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈhan-dəd How to pronounce hardhanded (audio)
Definition of hardhandednext
as in tough
difficult to endure the hardhanded rule of a tyrannical regime

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardhanded
  1. tough
  2. harsh
  3. hard
  4. rough
  5. oppressive
  6. trying
  7. brutal
  8. severe
Adjective
  • With men on first and third and nobody out that inning, second baseman Jackson Holliday fielded a tough grounder and threw to second, but shortstop Gunnar Henderson dropped the ball for an error and everyone was safe.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As for footwear sales in the region, the second quarter saw a slowdown of sales of high-heat product, alongside tougher comparatives and ongoing softness in end-of-cycle footwear product lines.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • It has been said that the Moon is a harsh mistress, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the lunar south pole.
    — Space.com Staff, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Maybe, then, Bohm is a lesson for even the harshest skeptics.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Sunday’s game was the first time since Cunningham was taken down by the Sky’s DiJonai Carrington on a hard foul on a fast break earlier this month.
    — Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Other majors, such as engineering, with its extensive math requirements, have been harder to shrink.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of hard
Adjective
  • Tampa Bay capitalized on a rough outing by Jesús Sánchez, who struggled to track two fly balls against the Tropicana Field roof.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • His platform season has been so rough that a lot of his closest comps in WAR are guys coming off serious injuries.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Adjective
  • However, a time has come where the weight of those dreams and ambitions has become surprisingly oppressive.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026
  • About the jail conditions The Sunday afternoon heat surrounding volunteers contrasts with what detainees describe as an oppressive cold inside.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of oppressive
Adjective
  • Either way, a spot in the round of 32 would be a just reward for a team that is unbeaten two games into what has been an extremely trying tournament off the field.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • More than half of the search-and-rescue workers who show up for the most trying missions are BUSARs.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
Definition of trying
Adjective
  • The Braves have Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy atop their catching depth chart, but a brutal injury setback involving veteran backstop Sandy Leon has now forced the organization to seek out another experienced option.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Micron, as well as South Korea's SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics — the world's three major DRAM producers — had competed largely on price, contributing to the brutal boom-and-bust cycles that have long characterized the industry.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of brutal
Adjective
  • The original house sustained severe damage, DFR said, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Wage growth hasn’t kept pace with inflation and the city faces its most severe housing shortage in a generation.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of severe
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.

Browse Nearby Words

hard goods
hardhanded
hardhandedness
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Cite this Entry

“Hardhanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardhanded. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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