a hard/tough nut (to crack)
noun phrase
: a person or thing that is difficult to deal with, understand, or influence
The team's defense is a tough nut to crack.
The problem is a hard nut to crack.
He's a tough nut, but I think I can get him to agree to the contract.
Examples of a hard/tough nut (to crack) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Still, Milchick is a tough nut to crack, his exact ambitions yet to be determined as an unsevered middle manager.
—
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
Suitability or the act of meeting the request posed by the human user is a tough nut to crack.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
However, Slotkin and Michigan have proved a tough nut to crack.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
While the women’s market in the U.S. has been a tough nut to crack for Dockers, the brand performs well internationally, MacLennan said in a late 2023 interview.
—Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 4 Oct. 2024
The rougher news is that figuring out how generative AI ought to optimally leverage the multiple chain-of-thought instances is an open issue and a tough nut to crack.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The largest shale play outside North America has proven to be a tough nut to crack over the last decade.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Is there any possible redemption for Kreese? Heald: There’s always a possibility, but Kreese is a tough nut to crack.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 19 July 2024
But the Riemann hypothesis is a tough nut to crack.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
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Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
Suitability or the act of meeting the request posed by the human user is a tough nut to crack.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
However, Slotkin and Michigan have proved a tough nut to crack.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024
While the women’s market in the U.S. has been a tough nut to crack for Dockers, the brand performs well internationally, MacLennan said in a late 2023 interview.
—Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 4 Oct. 2024
The rougher news is that figuring out how generative AI ought to optimally leverage the multiple chain-of-thought instances is an open issue and a tough nut to crack.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
The largest shale play outside North America has proven to be a tough nut to crack over the last decade.
—David Blackmon, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Is there any possible redemption for Kreese? Heald: There’s always a possibility, but Kreese is a tough nut to crack.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 19 July 2024
But the Riemann hypothesis is a tough nut to crack.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
Dictionary Entries Near a hard/tough nut (to crack)
Cite this Entry
“A hard/tough nut (to crack).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20hard%2Ftough%20nut%20%28to%20crack%29. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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