1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hard-boiled
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
—
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
Adjective
-
But when the ruthless Mafia boss Nicola Grimaldi discovers his young son has been kidnapped and murdered, the suspect and Grimaldi’s former friend Vito seeks refuge with police.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The way to move up in your organization might require being ruthless.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The style is a challenge: should their comedy be smart and savvy or broad and easy-going?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Light enough to layer over tights or leggings in colder weather, these pants are a smart choice for sightseeing or hiking in rainy conditions, but they can easily be dressed up with a cute blouse or blazer.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The straightforward task rapidly devolves into a perilous game of cat and mouse, when the merciless leader of a notorious crime syndicate sets his sights on claiming the organ for himself.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The counterpoint to Pritzker’s light touch on Schumer is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been merciless in her disapproval of Schumer’s decision.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
At this point in a description of a possible future technology, a hardheaded engineer loses interest.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
15 Nov. 2018
-
Kayce sells Yellowstone Ranch for $1.25 an acre and Elsa Dutton rises from the dead to declare victory Kayce cryptically suggested the Yellowstone sale at the end of last week's episode, and the hardheaded financial wonder Beth loved the idea.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But, like any astute power ranking, there are certain tells about which nominees have an advantage.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
-
There’s a chance an astute hiker could probably see Prospect Park from the top of Cowles Mountain looking northeast.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Now, onto some savvy spring shopping curated by WWD editors.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The shrewd 2025 gnome hunter hit the Augusta grounds long before The Masters’ opening round on Thursday.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The moment was also a memorable part of TCU’s dramatic reversal in fortunes, catalyzed by donor investment, a shrewd hiring decision and an all-in approach to the transfer portal.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Powell’s latest comments, his most vivid yet on the subject, come just days after the Trump administration unveiled the sharpest ever escalation in US tariffs on data going back 200 years, Fitch Ratings told CNN — even steeper than the expansive tariffs deployed under the Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Even at such a low price, this unit is packed with features and performance, including a wide 180 degree viewing angle, sharp 2K video, smart object detection and more.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share