the hard way

noun

: in a way that involves difficult or painful experiences
He found out the hard way that crime doesn't pay.
She insisted on doing things the hard way.

Examples of the hard way in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Arizona State University men’s golf coach Matt Thurmond learned about one of those rules the hard way this week ahead of the 2025 Masters tournament. Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Comments Hollywood has a troubling history of punishing those who speak out against exploitation, something original Power Rangers star Thuy Trang learned the hard way. Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The worse the market sell-off is, the greater the odds of above-average returns going forward, a lesson learned the hard way by many during the dot-com bust, 9/11, the Great Financial Crisis, COVID and many other stock market crises. David Rae, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 Kickstart Your Day with The Morning Jolt McCoy learned that the hard way, about creeping: A major donor offered a major gift for a project that was offline to WTCG’s core focus. Jack Fowler, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the hard way

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The hard way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hard%20way. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!