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
Yet despite Mattel’s widening representation, sometimes there’s no storytelling more powerful than the hardships and accomplishments of a real person.
—
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Cliffside Confessions Since establishing his BASE jump guiding company in 2022, LaJeunesse has leaned into the hardships some of his clients want to face.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia's border regions have also faced hardships, as Ukrainian drone attacks knocked out heat and power for local residents in reciprocal attacks.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Newly opened Mid-Wilshire restaurant Gritz N’ Wafflez faces $25,000 to $30,000 in repairs; in Long Beach, Sala Coffee & Wine Bar also suffered significant losses, adding to previous hardships from property damage.
—Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Others came to support neighbors and friends who had lost a loved one, or showed up just because community ties grow strong in small mountain towns where people share both the hardships of extreme weather and the joys of recreating outdoors.
—Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the county faces its own financial hardships.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The two discussed Dane's acting career, living with and advocating for ALS, but mostly, Dane's resilience through hardships and love for his family.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The immense hardships of space settlement and its potential pitfalls actually become more pressing as the technology advances.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Cliffside Confessions Since establishing his BASE jump guiding company in 2022, LaJeunesse has leaned into the hardships some of his clients want to face.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 25 Feb. 2026
Russia's border regions have also faced hardships, as Ukrainian drone attacks knocked out heat and power for local residents in reciprocal attacks.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 24 Feb. 2026
Newly opened Mid-Wilshire restaurant Gritz N’ Wafflez faces $25,000 to $30,000 in repairs; in Long Beach, Sala Coffee & Wine Bar also suffered significant losses, adding to previous hardships from property damage.
—Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Others came to support neighbors and friends who had lost a loved one, or showed up just because community ties grow strong in small mountain towns where people share both the hardships of extreme weather and the joys of recreating outdoors.
—Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the county faces its own financial hardships.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
The two discussed Dane's acting career, living with and advocating for ALS, but mostly, Dane's resilience through hardships and love for his family.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
The immense hardships of space settlement and its potential pitfalls actually become more pressing as the technology advances.
—Big Think, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardships
difficulties
Noun
-
Frustration station The 11 members of Park Forest’s Civic Leadership Academy got an earful and then some last Friday from two members of the state legislature who discussed the difficulties of getting anything done in Springfield.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
From misrepresentation about what the food actually is to difficulties with the accessibility of certain ingredients, many Japanese restaurants fail to get established and scale up.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardships.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardships. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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