as in desolate
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
it was hard to eke out even a bare existence on the hardscrabble lands
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Recent Examples of hardscrabble
Vérité-realistic portrait of hardscrabble immigrant life this film is not.
—
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
Doug Marker of Encinitas was a professional skateboarder between 1977 and 1980, during the sport’s hardscrabble days.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The candidates vied to establish their relatability, that most valuable of campaign currencies, by describing their own hardscrabble experiences.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Walters had a hardscrabble upbringing in Munfordville, Kentucky.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardscrabble
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026
Doug Marker of Encinitas was a professional skateboarder between 1977 and 1980, during the sport’s hardscrabble days.
—Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
The candidates vied to establish their relatability, that most valuable of campaign currencies, by describing their own hardscrabble experiences.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Walters had a hardscrabble upbringing in Munfordville, Kentucky.
—Dan Piepenbring, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardscrabble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardscrabble
Adjective
-
Introducing the setting with a majestic crane shot (particularly immersive in 3D), his camera soars above the cave and surveys the desolate landscape.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For myself, having a Wrangler is the perfect vehicle to just drive these desolate roads.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The experience gave me a front-row seat to the coast’s dramatic beauty, and also a lesson in the abundance of the Arctic, a region often assumed to be barren.—
Karen Gardiner,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
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This isn't to say every single post-starburst galaxy is totally barren.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Marriott’s report was the first time a British aid charity had documented how taxpayers’ money was funding a business accused of detaining impoverished African patients.—
Hettie O'Brien,
The Dial,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Sickert is showcased here for both his impressionistic instincts and his portrayal of previously taboo art subjects such as prostitutes and the impoverished.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At first glance, AI companions for lonely seniors can seem dystopian, looking less like innovation than a bleak sign of social failure.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Twin Cities,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Things are impossibly bleak for the Rockets, which were without Kevin Durant for the second game this series.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardscrabble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardscrabble. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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