1
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a hardheaded politician who never hesitated to set aside principle in favor of expediency
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
Granny remained hardheaded about keeping her house and not moving into a nursing home
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pragmatic
willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly
a hardheaded minister who understands the difficulties teenagers face today
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Recent Examples of hardheaded
Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote.
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Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
For the sake of both regional stability and long-term U.S. security, Washington needs to sustain a hardheaded, clear-eyed empathy for the interests of the Russians as well as of the Ukrainians and other nationalities.
—Frank Costigliola, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2023
But behind the display of friendship was a backdrop of hardheaded geopolitics.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
Politicians like John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, and hardheaded businessmen like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, supported Zionist aspirations as well.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded 
Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
For the sake of both regional stability and long-term U.S. security, Washington needs to sustain a hardheaded, clear-eyed empathy for the interests of the Russians as well as of the Ukrainians and other nationalities.
—Frank Costigliola, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2023
But behind the display of friendship was a backdrop of hardheaded geopolitics.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023
Politicians like John Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, and hardheaded businessmen like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, supported Zionist aspirations as well.
—Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
Adjective
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If another Fiesta Bowl victory awaits the Broncos, Madsen will need to connect on those one or two play-action opportunities when Jeanty freezes the safeties, and make the smart, safe plays that hold on to the ball and keep drives alive.Justin Williams, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
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Project Sid departs from this model, showing how AI civilizations could scale to address real-world challenges, such as optimizing supply chains, designing smarter cities, exploring social dynamics, or even managing healthcare systems.Jason Snyder, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Fed’s preferred inflation measure — the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index — is due Friday and could similarly show stubborn price pressures.Bryan Mena, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
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However, Kamil Kovar, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, argued in a note that stubborn core inflation would continue to spur ECB caution next year.Jenni Reid, CNBC, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But that decline can be understood as a pragmatic understanding of the difficulties of repelling an invading force.Anton Grushetskyi, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024
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Church, Combs, discuss their plan for assistance following the concert Church and Combs are taking a pragmatic approach to providing the highest quality service to their community by splitting the event's proceeds.Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Kraken pounced quickly and have made a shrewd gamble here.Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
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Wang, a shrewd negotiator, is known for taking her time before striking deals.Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The company has long maintained that privacy is a fundamental human right and has been adamant that the information stored on its devices be accessible only to the people that own them.Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Despite the abuse Drea and her kids have experienced, the mother of three is adamant about keeping her ex-husband’s last name.Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Burnett had a prime role in elevating Trump as a primetime fixture as the star of The Apprentice, as the real estate developer was presented to the public as a wildly successful entrepreneur with astute instincts for spotting talent.Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
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Through a rich heritage, carefully crafted brand strategies and astute business acumen, Montblanc has built an enduring legacy of distinction.Fairchild Studio, WWD, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Eggers and his go-to production designer Craig Lathrop also put a unique emphasis on building realistic worlds—their production design strives extra hard to close gaps between Eggers’s olden aesthetic and the modern audience’s perception.Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
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With Isak performing like this, a first trophy since 1969 and European qualification become realistic targets once again.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Here are some practical strategies to navigate the tricky terrain of hibernation relationships.Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
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Thanks to its cute designs and practical layout, this 2025 planner is a favorite among several teachers.Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 27 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hardheaded
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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