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
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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
It can be poached, scrambled, scotched, roasted, hard-boiled, devilled, pickled, and soft-boiled, all by itself.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Boiled Placing eggs in boiling water with the shells on is another healthy cooking method that can be used until the yolk is runny (soft-boiled) or fully cooked (hard-boiled).
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2026
The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 9 Sep. 2025
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
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
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Boiled Placing eggs in boiling water with the shells on is another healthy cooking method that can be used until the yolk is runny (soft-boiled) or fully cooked (hard-boiled).
—Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 29 Jan. 2026
The lenses of deep-sea fish are also especially susceptible to clouding, in the same way that egg whites go from clear to opaque when hard-boiled.
—Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 9 Sep. 2025
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
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
-
Noah Thomas’s life takes a dangerous turn when a chance reunion with an old high school friend, Parker Coleman, entangles him in a ruthless crime ring.—
Jon Stojan,
Variety,
18 June 2026
-
Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role.—
Gieson Cacho,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Travel costs keep climbing in 2026, and a wellness retreat at home is becoming the smarter way to reset without spending thousands on flights and resort stays.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
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There’s also a smart key system with proximity detection, automatic steering wheel unlocking, and seat opening.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 13,
New Atlas,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Having catalogued the Black Death’s horrifying effects, Ibn Khatima went on to outline a series of preventative measures and active treatments designed to combat this merciless scourge.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
The jokes on social media will be endless, and opposing fans will be merciless.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
In Beijing, the president scrapped hardheaded diplomacy in favor of an imagined personal bond.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
18 May 2026
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At the George offices, Berman loses it once and for all at John’s lateness, his indifference to the daily operations of the magazine, and his hardheaded refusal to consider the TV show.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.—
Emily Cox,
ARTnews.com,
22 May 2026
-
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Forget about the astute narration (barbershops, bankers and roundabouts).—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The two were walking around the Hotel Royal in Evian-les-Bains, France, when the conversation was overheard by astute observers.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Martín Pérez was on the mound for the home team, a soft-tossing veteran lefty who was pumping in 89-mph sinkers.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
20 June 2026
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But the team will continue to search for promising talent to stock its lower levels, even as the organization is more focused on the veteran stars at the top of the major league roster.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
The group offers phishing-as-a-service to individuals who may not be technically savvy enough to set up fraudulent websites and text campaigns on their own.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
-
As these 50 million or so American youngsters (about 2 billion globally) begin to make their mark on the culture, Is your marketing department at least as savvy as an 8th grader?—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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