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
As to why the desktop is such a hard nut to crack—there are multiple reasons, but one of the big ones is simply user inertia.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2016
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
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IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2016
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
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 27 Feb. 2025.
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