bitter pill

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is giving you this money out of his own pocket because you are his sister and he understands that you have had to swallow a bitter pill.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Paramount would have a bitter pill to swallow if regulators actually blocked the transaction.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

For USC, it was an especially bitter pill to swallow, considering how well things had started.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

Defeat was another bitter pill for Zverev, who is still searching for a first Slam crown aged 28 after being a three-time finalist, including last year in Australia when Jannik Sinner beat him.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

But even among poor whites, the collapse of slavery was a bitter pill.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander