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.

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

From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026

Carney led the Liberal Party to a fourth-straight electoral win last April, on the promise of taking a hard-nosed approach in trade negotiations with Washington and delivering relief for the Canadian economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Park’s hard-nosed approach to his themes, his ability to elicit strong performances and his deft touch with complex material have built his lofty reputation.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

Then in 1990 he got attention for his turn as the hard-nosed secret agent handling Anne Parillaud's female assassin Nikita, in Besson's hit film of the same name.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

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