as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do
she was hard put to explain her department's excessive expenditures
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Recent Examples of hard put
Arendt, who was accused of smuggling anti-Semitic literature out of the library to expose Hitler’s intentions to the West, defends her innocence with such intellectual rigor, conviction, and charm that the audience, like the interrogator, is hard put to decipher the truth.
—
airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024
Arendt, who was accused of smuggling anti-Semitic literature out of the library to expose Hitler’s intentions to the West, defends her innocence with such intellectual rigor, conviction, and charm that the audience, like the interrogator, is hard put to decipher the truth.
—airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024
Many Americans, while understanding that Washington was essential to the success of the revolution in his role as commanding general, would be hard put to explain why he is so highly ranked as president.
—Sara Georgini, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2024
From Brazil to Germany, companies are hard put to crew up, such is the demand by series and movies.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 10 May 2023
But with an evenly split Senate, and Democrats hard put to get to the 60-vote threshold needed to prevent Republicans from blocking their bills, Ms. Sinema – together with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia – has come under particular fire for her refusal to scrap the filibuster.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2021
This item, which has more in common with a tabletop decoration than a functioning reticule, would be hard put to accommodate a hairbrush; a cellphone would dwarf it.
—Lynn Yaeger, Town & Country, 22 Jan. 2023
Japan itself, with a stagnant economy and the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, will be hard put to sustain the necessary military buildup.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022
But this is a tale of two women, and you’d be hard put to nominate one of them as the obvious heroine, or to say who is sweating under the greater stress.
—The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2022
airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024
Arendt, who was accused of smuggling anti-Semitic literature out of the library to expose Hitler’s intentions to the West, defends her innocence with such intellectual rigor, conviction, and charm that the audience, like the interrogator, is hard put to decipher the truth.
—airmail.news, 28 Dec. 2024
Many Americans, while understanding that Washington was essential to the success of the revolution in his role as commanding general, would be hard put to explain why he is so highly ranked as president.
—Sara Georgini, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Aug. 2024
From Brazil to Germany, companies are hard put to crew up, such is the demand by series and movies.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 10 May 2023
But with an evenly split Senate, and Democrats hard put to get to the 60-vote threshold needed to prevent Republicans from blocking their bills, Ms. Sinema – together with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia – has come under particular fire for her refusal to scrap the filibuster.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Aug. 2021
This item, which has more in common with a tabletop decoration than a functioning reticule, would be hard put to accommodate a hairbrush; a cellphone would dwarf it.
—Lynn Yaeger, Town & Country, 22 Jan. 2023
Japan itself, with a stagnant economy and the highest debt-to-GDP ratio in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, will be hard put to sustain the necessary military buildup.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022
But this is a tale of two women, and you’d be hard put to nominate one of them as the obvious heroine, or to say who is sweating under the greater stress.
—The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard put
Adjective
-
But 100 days into the second Trump administration, those leaders are perplexed and concerned.—
Marc Lynch,
Foreign Affairs,
12 May 2025
-
Unlike last week — or most others this season, come to think of it — no one totally nails it, nor really expects to (… except for Massimo, who’s clearly perplexed when his mussel-and-clam pie ends up in the safe middle).—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Delap’s cannon shoulders struck fear into a baffled division, like a medieval army who looked across the battlefield and realised that the opposing forces had technology far beyond theirs.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
The Tensor series uses a double layer of reflective film insulation, with a baffled air chamber design, which helps keep it quiet.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
My daughter was surprised, maybe a little embarrassed.—
Stephanie H. Murray,
The Atlantic,
29 May 2025
-
The Parks and Rec alum leaped out of her seat and began cheering for Meyers with the now-standing audience while the thoroughly embarrassed host quietly covered his face with his hands.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Because, as the bewildered Jackson says in response, Who hates guitars?—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Also speaking to camera, the various members of the Girard family waver between resentment and bewildered confusion.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard put.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard%20put. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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