1
: being tough, stubborn, or uncompromising
2

Examples of hard-nosed in a Sentence

the team's hard-nosed coach doesn't make exceptions for anybody
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.
Browning is a naturally gifted pass-rusher and a hard-nosed worker but has struggled to stay on the field. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024 The Panthers have long been a no-nonsense, hard-nosed program that specializes in running the ball and playing solid defense. Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024 It was built in 1947 by Clay Earles, a tough, hard-nosed Virginian who had a fourth-grade education but understood business better than some MBA’s. Bruce Martin, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024 Kopelman was known as a shrewd, hard-nosed businessman and savvy marketer with a sense of humor who endeared himself to the industry with his clever takes on the standards of marketing lingo and his uncanny impersonations of department store figures. Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hard-nosed 

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-nosed was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near hard-nosed

Cite this Entry

“Hard-nosed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-nosed. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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