1
as in persistence
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
her unrelenting hardheadedness didn't win many friends, but it helped her to get her way most of the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters
the hardheadedness of a bean counter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheadedness
Noun
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While cost is a primary consideration for payers, lack of persistence on GLP-1s is another reason for hesitance to reimburse weight loss drugs.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025 -
In the gleaming chrome and fresh paint of each vehicle at their events, there is a story of persistence, investment, and pride.—
Melissa Noel,
Essence,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But typically, the Russian leader – a former intelligence officer with the Soviet Union’s security service, the KGB – uses translators to avoid speaking in English during diplomatic conversations.—
Katharina Krebs,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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The Trump administration paused intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine after the incident.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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With a five-octave vocal range, preternatural charm and a razor-sharp wit, Buckley’s extraordinary live performances at downtown clubs became the stuff of legend.—
Tony Gervino,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
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Davies’s adeptness at verbal wit and aching melancholy are on grand display throughout The House of Mirth, one of his greatest films.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Piccini's team tackled this by staging hands-on workshops, pairing veteran agronomists with robotics engineers to co-develop protocols that honored both viticultural wisdom and technological best practices.—
Jill Barth,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Flett told me about a graduate student from China who informed him that Confucianism requires perfection on as many as five different points: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness.—
Leslie Jamison,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The indirect talks over a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire are being held in Doha, but optimism that surfaced last week of a looming deal has largely faded, with both sides accusing each other of intransigence.—
Crispian Balmer,
USA Today,
13 July 2025
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Meanwhile, the nationalist coalition fell apart under the twin hammers of economic disaster and Mosaddeq’s intransigence.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
9 July 2025
Noun
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The collapse of 2023 was partly rooted in offensive obstinacy, stagnation and decline.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
23 July 2025
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This seemed to me to stem not from carelessness or spite but obstinacy.—
erin Khuê Ninh
June 17,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Related: ‘Neglected diseases’ are anything but neglected by the billion-plus people living with them One possible reason for this obduracy is that noma begins as a dental disease, and dental diseases have long been underappreciated global health concerns.—
John Button,
STAT,
16 Dec. 2023
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Perhaps the greatest testament to Morocco’s obduracy came late in normal time, when Rodri — a central midfielder being deployed as a central defender — strode forward and shot, more in hope than in expectation, from 35 yards.—
Rory Smith,
New York Times,
6 Dec. 2022
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Cite this Entry
“Hardheadedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheadedness. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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