Synonyms
- adamant
- adamantine
- bullheaded
- dogged
- hard
- hardened
- hardheaded
- headstrong
- immovable
- implacable
- inconvincible
- inflexible
- intransigent
- mulish
- obdurate
- obstinate
- opinionated
- ossified
- pat
- pertinacious
- perverse
- pigheaded
- self-opinionated
- self-willed
- stiff-necked
- stubborn
- unbending
- uncompromising
- unrelenting
- unyielding
- willful
- wilful
Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McCarthy was a fan favorite at LAFC, as much for his plain-spoken, hard-nosed personality as for his play in goal.
—
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 30 Mar. 2024
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
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
In the 1982 film, Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aspiring Navy aviator who clashes with his hard-nosed drill instructor, Gunnery Sgt.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 30 Mar. 2024
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
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.
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 16 Apr. 2024.
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