hardball
noun
hard·ball
ˈhärd-ˌbȯl 
1
: baseball
2
: forceful uncompromising methods employed to gain an end
played political hardball
Examples of hardball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Tennessee, the legal hardball became a debacle for both Endo and Arnold & Porter.
—
Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
American officials this summer tried a hardball negotiation tactic with allies by warning that the U.S. could directly curb the China sales of foreign companies, a step that Japan and the Netherlands viewed as a draconian overreach.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune Asia, 28 Nov. 2024
Not exactly a hardball, especially for Robbins, who has an everything-must-go approach to self-disclosure.
—Belinda Luscombe / Boston, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
Governments that adopted a hardball stance were often able to do business with Trump.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardball 
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Bob Fernandez, ProPublica, 17 Dec. 2024
American officials this summer tried a hardball negotiation tactic with allies by warning that the U.S. could directly curb the China sales of foreign companies, a step that Japan and the Netherlands viewed as a draconian overreach.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune Asia, 28 Nov. 2024
Not exactly a hardball, especially for Robbins, who has an everything-must-go approach to self-disclosure.
—Belinda Luscombe / Boston, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
Governments that adopted a hardball stance were often able to do business with Trump.
—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hardball
Dictionary Entries Near hardball
Cite this Entry
“Hardball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hardball. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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