hard-nosed

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.

Known as an hard-nosed and aggressive operator, Williamson worked for former governors Jerry Brown and Gray Davis and mentored other women in politics.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Cutting prices in a crisis doesn’t square with the usual picture of hard-nosed commodities traders, but Abbott says his microbes are still in the money thanks to Pivot Bio’s low production and shipping costs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

It was a hard-nosed faith, but they kept faith, and they got to Brown v.

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

The new chief executive is promising hard-nosed business leadership and has appointed Tiger Woods to chair their Future Competitions Committee.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Will Bates was Gary Edwards’s teacher in algebra II, which seemed amazing given the fact that Edwards was a Carter Cowboy and Bates was a hard-nosed grader who made no bones about flunking kids.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger