1
: being tough, stubborn, or uncompromising
2

Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then there was Martinez, as brilliant and hard-nosed a political mind as Padilla and married to Gerry Guzman, a former district director for Fuentes and Bocanegra. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 There were stars on the court both literally and figuratively, as the celebrities' hard-nosed approach to what is normally a lighthearted game and the NBA's new LED court were the major draws. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 23 Feb. 2024 With their hard-nosed victory over Big 12 newcomer BYU over the weekend, Kansas State climbed to No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25, matching the best ranking in school history. Dave Skretta, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Stallone will play a hard-nosed police detective about to retire, but who must team up with a younger cop and former priest to stop a serial killer on a murderous crusade through the wintery streets of Philadelphia. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024 This involves setting clear goals, conducting market research, and sometimes making hard-nosed decisions for the long-term good. Melissa Houston, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach. Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024 He was raised by his mother and grandmother — a hard-nosed prune farmer whom McGuire credits for his career. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024 When the Mavs rolled out of bed and looked in the mirror this morning, many of them probably saw someone who doesn’t play enough hard-nosed defense. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-nosed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-nosed was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near hard-nosed

Cite this Entry

“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-nosed. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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