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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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.
—
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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They are expected to manage the roster with a little more thought paid to player welfare and a little less thought paid to marginal gains and ruthless efficiency.—
Andrew Baggarly,
The Athletic,
30 Jan. 2025
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Here's the idea: Buried deep within Starfleet exists an anonymous, ruthless intelligence agency that operates out of sight of most Federation citizens and Starfleet officers.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But a good coach, a lot of good ideas, smart, good leadership.—
Charlotte Carroll,
The Athletic,
29 Jan. 2025
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To try to repeal the law to reintroduce wolves into Colorado is not a smart option.—
TJ Hutchinson,
The Denver Post,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The funniest movie ever made about the experience of being snubbed for an Oscar nomination, For Your Consideration found Christopher Guest and company moving away from their patented mockumentary format for this hilarious and merciless satire.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
22 Jan. 2025
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But some part of her yearns to be merciless—to make all these women confess.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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At this point in a description of a possible future technology, a hardheaded engineer loses interest.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
15 Nov. 2018
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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
Adjective
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While Dortmund retain a reputation as astute talent-spotters able to generate vast profits by identifying outstanding potential, there are few players at the club now — English winger Jamie Gittens aside — who belong in that category.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
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The Franklin Effect: Turning Critics Into Allies One of Franklin’s most astute political strategies was his ability to turn rivals into allies.—
Michael Sheldrick,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This diverse market presents a wealth of opportunities for savvy investors.—
Matt Rozo,
The Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2025
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In the regular season, Kelce tried to perfect the football version of a savvy veteran boxer, similar to former great Floyd Mayweather Jr. — throw quality punches and never take a haymaker to preserve your body for the bigger fight, the grand battle with a much greater prize.—
Nate Taylor,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The proposal was met with a mixed reaction — while some dismissed it as outlandish, others saw it as a shrewd geopolitical move.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
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Netanyahu used his relationship with Russia to his advantage domestically, touting his close ties with Putin in his 2019 election campaign to demonstrate his credentials as a shrewd actor on the global stage.—
Nicole Grajewski,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The 180-degree rotating lens offers flexible projection angles, while electronic focus and automatic keystone correction ensure sharp images.—
StackCommerce Team (Sponsored),
PCMAG,
22 Jan. 2025
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And some lots are still empty, the grass from winter rains wafting in the wind, along with the sharp echoes of hammers and nail guns.—
Jessica Garrison,
Los Angeles Times,
22 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 3 Feb. 2025.
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