1
as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
a hard-boiled Puritan schoolmaster who was as unyielding as New England granite
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
made the hard-boiled business decision to downsize the company, thereby costing thousands of longtime employees their jobs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-boiled
In a smaller pot of water over high heat, boil eggs, covered, until just hard-boiled, 7 minutes, then run under cold water.
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Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, 8 Mar. 2023
For lunch or dinner, top a salad with scrambled or hard-boiled eggs.
—Amanda MacMillan, Health, 1 Mar. 2023
This is outback noir — oblique, secretive and as hard-boiled as the ground is hard-baked — and Sen wears it well.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
As Detective Munch, Mr. Belzer was brainy but hard-boiled, cynical but sensitive.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-boiled
Adjective
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The lawyer who normally practices in New York is gregarious, quick with a joke and always happy to talk to the media, but can be ruthless in cross-examination.Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
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City are going through some stuff, Arsenal aren’t ruthless enough, Chelsea are wobbling, teams will figure out how to beat Nottingham Forest soon enough, Newcastle are the form team now but are an Alexander Isak injury away from trouble.Carl Anka, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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That led to his breakout success with The Elephant Man, starring John Hurt as the friendly and smart but disfigured title character in Victorian England and Anthony Hopkins as the doctor who tries to treat him.Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 Jan. 2025
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Instead, the Flow 2 truly shines with these smart features.Ben Sin, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The community that had long been home to hundreds of entertainment industry workers was engulfed by a wildfire whipped into a merciless inferno by 80-mile an hour winds.Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
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Scarcity of food and clean water have become merciless tormentors, and the numbers tell a story that words cannot fully convey.Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Kayce sells Yellowstone Ranch for $1.25 an acre and Elsa Dutton rises from the dead to declare victory Kayce cryptically suggested the Yellowstone sale at the end of last week's episode, and the hardheaded financial wonder Beth loved the idea.Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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When Buck resigned, the conservative cited a flank of the Republican Party’s hardheaded politics and unwavering devotion to Trump — traits that made Boebert a name brand.Jesse Bedayn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Observation Learn how to adapt to people and situations by being an astute observer and better-than-average listener.Expert Panel®, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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And an understanding and analysis of the work and the film that is quite astute and eloquent and thoughtful without any other references or baggage in the mix.Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Bateman is an effortless runner and is savvy and precise with his routes.Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Not every brilliant offensive mind has the leadership savvy of, say, Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan.Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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All the eagle-eyed scouting and shrewd personnel moves wouldn’t matter if the Broncos couldn’t find a replacement who could approximate or improve upon the production Wilson had provided during an 8-9 season in 2023.Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
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The company’s investment in Sid Gentle Films proved a shrewd move after the Killing Eve producer met performance targets following its sale to BBC Studios in 2022.Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The design cues of the hands, hour markers, and even lugs are Vacheron design at their best, with sharp, crisp lines.Blake Buettner, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2025
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Personality differences often come into sharp focus here.Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hard-boiled
Cite this Entry
“Hard-boiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-boiled. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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