the hard way
noun
: in a way that involves difficult or painful experiences
He found out the hard way that crime doesn't pay.
She insisted on doing things the hard way.
Examples of the hard way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mental health is something Alix learned to prioritize the hard way.
—
Dave Quinn, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Unfortunately these are oftentimes lessons learned the hard way.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
Sam’s Club has found out as much the hard way, as its own chief technology officer is set to leave after receiving a mandate to relocate to company headquarters.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Some companies learned this lesson on guardrails the hard way by empowering chatbots to, for example, sell a plane ticket or car for well below normal cost.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the hard way 
Dave Quinn, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Unfortunately these are oftentimes lessons learned the hard way.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
Sam’s Club has found out as much the hard way, as its own chief technology officer is set to leave after receiving a mandate to relocate to company headquarters.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2024
Some companies learned this lesson on guardrails the hard way by empowering chatbots to, for example, sell a plane ticket or car for well below normal cost.
—Ina Fried, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the hard way
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the hard way.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the hard way
Cite this Entry
“The hard way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hard%20way. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share