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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Generic 20ft Prefabricated Expandable House $16,999 at Amazon With nearly 400 square feet of space, this tiny house features a smart layout that makes use of every inch.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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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But, like any astute power ranking, there are certain tells about which nominees have an advantage.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
3 Apr. 2025
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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
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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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The duo spoke with Variety about the movie, and it’s soon revealed that in addition to their talent, the pair share a sharp sense of humor.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
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