How to Use hard-nosed in a Sentence

hard-nosed

adjective
  • The hard-nosed winger was too kind to his old team on Tuesday.
    — Joe Smith, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Canales is also eager to add more hard-nosed players in the draft.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2025
  • In that time, the winger has won fans at each stop with his backstory and hard-nosed play.
    — Eric Stephens, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
  • His talent for the work, and hard-nosed tactics, showed early.
    — Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
  • Hock is way too stringent and hard-nosed to work with pie-in-the-sky companies.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Finland looks gritty and hard-nosed, as usual.
    — Chris Pronger, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
  • And that's just playing hard-nosed, blue-collar, grind-it-out baseball.
    — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023
  • Even their hard-nosed editor might think that’s going a little too far for your job.
    — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2025
  • He’s made a career of playing hard-nosed heroes, wiseguys, and dirtbags.
    — Sezin Devi Koehler, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Schwartz has a hard-nosed and old-school reputation, but with a twist of attitude.
    — Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023
  • Originally a walk-on linebacker, Hatch is known more for his hard-nosed style of play.
    — Jenna Ortiz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Mar. 2023
  • For sheer, hard-nosed craftiness, Myron was right up there with Gomer Pyle.
    — William Jeanes, Car and Driver, 9 Apr. 2023
  • Reed spent the summer gushing about this defense bringing back tough, hard-nosed football.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Hard worker gives you his all every shift and his hard-nosed playing style will translate well at the next level.
    — Kyle Woodlief, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023
  • Now, a slew of states across the country have joined in a hard-nosed, high-stakes redistricting battle.
    — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Stover is essential to this team’s identity as a leader and hard-nosed on-field presence.
    — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 24 Aug. 2023
  • The tenacious point guard is venerated by Celtics fans for his hard-nosed play and hustle.
    — Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2023
  • Philadelphians love players who are hard-nosed, hard-working and give their best effort on every play.
    — Timothy J. Brown, The Conversation, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Train cars are an arena to verbally spar with hard-nosed reporters who are thoroughly won over by the mouths of these boys.
    — Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
  • The website may have high-minded ideals, but their termination agreements are full of hard-nosed legalese.
    — Kelsey Piper, Vox, 18 May 2024
  • Despite the losses, Golden State's hard-nosed team has still impressed.
    — Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
    — Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Along the way, the hard-nosed and principled leader was also a minor league manager, scout and bullpen coach.
    — Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
  • Clemson coach Brad Brownell, now in his 16th season, leads a hard-nosed, balanced group.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Throughout his tenure, the Knicks often resembled the gritty, hard-nosed teams of the past.
    — Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
  • The first-team offense goes against the first-team defense with less elaborate play calls and more hard-nosed competition.
    — Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
  • But Israelis should ask themselves how well the hard-nosed, forever-war approach has worked in practice.
    — David Ignatius, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
  • Browning is a naturally gifted pass-rusher and a hard-nosed worker but has struggled to stay on the field.
    — Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Chicago is known for its hard-nosed politics and take-no-prisoners attitude.
    — Glenn Davis, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
  • He was raised by his mother and grandmother — a hard-nosed prune farmer whom McGuire credits for his career.
    — Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hard-nosed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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