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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardheaded
Over his lifetime, Aron was a hardheaded defender of liberal values in the face of fascist and totalitarian ideological challengers.
—
Raymond Aron, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote.
—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
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded 
Raymond Aron, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote.
—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
See all Example Sentences for hardheaded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardheaded
Adjective
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The Celtics couldn’t keep Jalen Brunson off the free-throw line late in the first half but otherwise used tenacious, smart defense to hold the Knicks to 48 points on 33.3 percent field goal shooting before halftime.—
Jay King,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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The Adams administration is making swift, intentional investments, building smart to protect all New Yorkers from harsh rains, blazing sun and smog.—
Meera Joshi,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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America’s stubborn division was reflected at the nation on the largest stage possible.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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The telescope now named for her will help unravel the stubborn mystery surrounding it.—
Jeffrey Kluger/Greenbelt,
TIME,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But the underlying facts paint a different picture, suggesting pragmatic rather than political rationale.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
6 Feb. 2025
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The older-younger generational divide emerges in an entirely different way in the latter episodes, with a growing riff between pragmatic (some would say selfish) Gen Xers and more idealistic and collectivist (some would say guileless) younger millennial and Gen Zers.—
James Hibberd,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As the emerging metropolis began to overtake San Francisco as the most populated city in the West, shrewd real estate developers began to cast their eyes up to the foothills of the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.—
Jenny Jarvie,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2025
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Mayberry: Golden State snagging Jimmy Butler was a shrewd move.—
J. Robbins, J. Edwards and D. Mayberry,
The Athletic,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The arbitration ruling is vindication of sorts for the buyers, who have been adamant over the past year that Taylor was delaying the inevitable.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2025
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Head coach Leon Rice was adamant his team would heat up from three, but the 3-point shooting remained spotty.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Jacobs-Jenkins’ astute observations of White American life from his perspective as a Black playwright are fresh and illuminating.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
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Regardless, Long’s point was an astute and frightening one for the rest of the NFC: Daniels isn’t just a promising rookie quarterback.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Yet others are realistic: any action here will anger some corner of the Democratic coalition that, at the moment, is far from unified or confident that their team in Washington knows what’s next.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
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Bregman represented a unique opportunity who did not seem like a realistic option as the Cubs quickly checked off items early in the offseason, building upon a roster that is already favored to win the division.—
Patrick Mooney,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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These exercises can involve bodyweight movements, resistance bands, free weights, or stability equipment to challenge your muscles in a dynamic and practical way.—
Kelly Burch Published,
Verywell Health,
7 Feb. 2025
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Social organizations helping trans people tend to focus more on these very practical issues, like helping people find work.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hardheaded
Cite this Entry
“Hardheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardheaded. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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