HARDNOSE Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

hardnose

noun

Definition of hardnose

as in realist

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardnose

Noun

The middlebrow realist is a master technician, a superb replicator of experience, but neither more nor less than this.

— B. D. McClay, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Not a pushover but a practical-minded realist, the chef takes the punches, striking up a booze-smuggling deal with the Americans to keep the orphans living in his restaurant safe.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of realist

Noun

Russia’s pragmatist-in-chief has therefore settled on the Donbas as an attainable negotiating goal, while pressure grows on Kyiv to concede.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
While Skydance may have become the latest lightning rod in an increasingly polarised and under pressure Hollywood, Bird is a pragmatist.

— K.J. Yossman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of pragmatist

Noun

Williams led the Bears to an NFC North title and a playoff victory last season, but some cynics think the Bears are due for a regression this season.

— Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
That the earnestness the genre requires galls us cynics, who love to hide in our books, away from all those pesky bodies in the first place?

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynic

Noun

Life has beaten down Weisman’s Jake Levinson, once the radical front man of a bad Rage Against the Machine clone, into a dead-eyed nihilist.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
As criminal cases have increased against members of violent nihilist groups, related abuse reports have also risen.

— Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026

Definition of nihilist

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.

Browse Nearby Words

hardness

hardnose

hard-nosed

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“Hardnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardnose. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hardnose

noun

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