HARDPRESSED Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

hard-pressed

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈprest

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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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 But both are going to be hard-pressed to deliver on those expectations this March. —

Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026 Kuemper, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will be hard-pressed to finish with a similar caliber campaign this time around. —

Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026 Damat Anyone visiting Turkey would be hard-pressed not to get exposed to Damat. —

Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026 An adult earning barely $30,000 a year behind a fast-food counter will be hard-pressed to support a family, Holder said. —

Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed

Adjective

Those watching were perplexed that two people who could play husband and wife — albeit, locked in an abusive relationship — wouldn’t do press in the same room, let alone pose together at the premiere.

— Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
For Bogaerts, Severino is the one who leaves him perplexed, the one who has him asking why this guy, of all guys, owns him.

— Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 May 2026