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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Pierce Brosnan's patriarch is ruthless, but is his wife actually pulling the strings?—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Successful entrepreneurs are ruthless with time and priorities Successful entrepreneurs are ruthless with their time and fiercely protective of their focus.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Body scale: on sale for $79.95 Original price: $99.95 This smart scale measures weight, BMI, body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and water percentage.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Take smart risks now to avoid catch-up costs later.—
Martin Zwilling,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Alas, this humble superfood has become rare and coveted in recent years, particularly during the past couple of months due to the merciless outbreaks of avian influenza.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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At this point in a description of a possible future technology, a hardheaded engineer loses interest.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
15 Nov. 2018
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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
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Pelosi, 84, is serving her 20th term representing her San Francisco district in Congress and is seen by many as one of the most astute and impressive American political leaders in modern times.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
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Andrews' nuanced design of P.L. Travers' creation is an astute, mellifluous, and delightfully intimidating creature of talent and propriety — and as the world would realize, so, too, was Andrews.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Utilizing savvy travel products like compression packing cubes, three-in-one foldable chargers, and a roomy personal item bag goes a long way.—
Hannah Freedman,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Mar. 2025
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The Wave would welcome another 90-minute show of savvy, ball skill and stamina from French midfielder Kenza Dali.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Tough, shrewd, and bursting with Machiavellian ambition, Lucky is also fiercely loyal to Baba and his bumbling offspring.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
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His three-year, $45.75 million deal signed in the spring of 2023 is one of Paton and Payton’s shrewdest moves and is due to be updated as early as this spring.—
Parker Gabriel,
The Denver Post,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Danny Elfman Helped Jenna Ortega With Her Cello Playing On Wednesday Lucky for Jenna Ortega, Tim Burton’s longtime music collaborator Danny Elfman was able to step in to help the actor learn the instrument with sharp precision.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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This included everything from gauzy and sheer dresses, to sharp tailoring and suits.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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