1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a hardheaded politician who never hesitated to set aside principle in favor of expediency
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
Granny remained hardheaded about keeping her house and not moving into a nursing home
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a hardheaded minister who understands the difficulties teenagers face today
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardheaded
Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote.
—
Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
For the sake of both regional stability and long-term U.S. security, Washington needs to sustain a hardheaded, clear-eyed empathy for the interests of the Russians as well as of the Ukrainians and other nationalities.
—Frank Costigliola, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2023
But behind the display of friendship was a backdrop of hardheaded geopolitics.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
Politicians like John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, and hardheaded businessmen like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, supported Zionist aspirations as well.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded 
Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
For the sake of both regional stability and long-term U.S. security, Washington needs to sustain a hardheaded, clear-eyed empathy for the interests of the Russians as well as of the Ukrainians and other nationalities.
—Frank Costigliola, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2023
But behind the display of friendship was a backdrop of hardheaded geopolitics.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
Politicians like John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, and hardheaded businessmen like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, supported Zionist aspirations as well.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
Adjective
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Instead, the Flow 2 truly shines with these smart features.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
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Best Packing Essentials Deals For frequent travelers, packing smart is important, and these products can make all the difference.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The stubborn machine has won, and politicians are, for the most part, just fodder, which means that every politician who has to stand in front of a camera after a tragedy turns into another battle site in an endless culture war.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2025
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Coaches will tell you of a character who could be grumpy or stubborn, but also of someone who needed faith shown in him.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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With a few pragmatic exceptions, fact checkers go over everything published by the magazine, editing for balance, fairness, and context.—
Fergus McIntosh,
The New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2025
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The harsh reality is that in opting for a colder, more pragmatic approach, the means have to justify the end.—
Jordan Campbell,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Caps were shrewd sellers, as The Athletic's Shayna Goldman recently wrote about, Penguins were buyers.—
Rob Rossi,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
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Growing up in tension, fearing a parent’s volatility, can leave a young person with painful but shrewd premonitions about possible danger and with acute impulses to protection.—
Mikal Gilmore,
Rolling Stone,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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On the other hand, the group is adamant that its FPV drones are wholly homegrown.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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David Poole is adamant that the sales team is always upfront about the risks as well as upsides of investing.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Observation Learn how to adapt to people and situations by being an astute observer and better-than-average listener.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
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And an understanding and analysis of the work and the film that is quite astute and eloquent and thoughtful without any other references or baggage in the mix.—
Brenton Blanchet,
People.com,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The court ruled then for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, ending any realistic prospect Trump could be tried before the November election.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2025
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That said, completing virtually any realistic deal will be a major challenge.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Expert instructors will teach you how to get started, practical uses, tips for effective prompt-writing, and mistakes to avoid.—
Gili Malinsky,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2025
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According to The Knot, etiquette guides suggest balancing practical and emotional considerations.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hardheaded
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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