hard-fought

adjective

1
: requiring a lot of effort or hard work
He won a hard-fought campaign for reelection.
2
: achieved or acquired through a lot of effort or hard work
a hard-fought victory/triumph

Examples of hard-fought in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The game was hard-fought enough that Philadelphia still had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 12 Jan. 2026 Two of the victories early in district play were extremely hard-fought. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Feb. 2026 Measles cases had reached a record low in 2004 but were starting to trend up again, just a few years after the US had achieved elimination following a long and hard-fought battle. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026 The deal represents a genuine achievement — hard-fought, historic in scope, and a testament to the organizing muscle the Guild has built over years of increasingly contentious labor battles. — George Heller, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-fought

Rhymes for hard-fought

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Browse Nearby Words

hardfisted
hard-fought
hard goods
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Cite this Entry

“Hard-fought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-fought. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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