as in difficulties
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
working two jobs was a hardship he was willing to endure to get out of debt
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Recent Examples of hardships
What began as frustration with daily hardships quickly grew into demands for political change and systemic reform.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
But Russia’s strategic position, China’s global priorities and Venezuela’s hardships all make that unlikely right now.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Moving forward, students will likely need to make more strategic decisions from the outset to avoid financial hardships during or after their studies.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Then there are those who confront similarly harsh experiences, yet manage to stay on the path of light—and even draw lessons from their hardships to make future audiences laugh.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2025
Between this constant travel, Rachel’s employment instability, and a number of financial hardships and health issues, the couple was feeling definite strain.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
For Nguyen, the name is especially poignant as the project survived significant personal and professional hardships in 2023 and 2024.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Local people, aid workers and rebel leaders told CNN the fighting and the hardships caused by it continue.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Four of the five county residents who serve as individual plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim financial hardships that put Santa Clara County’s permit expenses far out of reach, while one who did pay the fees objected on principle to having to bear the costs.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
But Russia’s strategic position, China’s global priorities and Venezuela’s hardships all make that unlikely right now.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Moving forward, students will likely need to make more strategic decisions from the outset to avoid financial hardships during or after their studies.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Then there are those who confront similarly harsh experiences, yet manage to stay on the path of light—and even draw lessons from their hardships to make future audiences laugh.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2025
Between this constant travel, Rachel’s employment instability, and a number of financial hardships and health issues, the couple was feeling definite strain.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
For Nguyen, the name is especially poignant as the project survived significant personal and professional hardships in 2023 and 2024.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
Local people, aid workers and rebel leaders told CNN the fighting and the hardships caused by it continue.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
Four of the five county residents who serve as individual plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim financial hardships that put Santa Clara County’s permit expenses far out of reach, while one who did pay the fees objected on principle to having to bear the costs.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardships
difficulties
Noun
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The report noted girls in several countries cited difficulties around contraception access and agency in their decision-making around this.—
Carlotta Dotto,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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Autism symptoms in adults often include social communication difficulties, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and sensory sensitivities.—
Laura Dorwart,
Health,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardships.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardships. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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