hard-pressed

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.

“In a blind tasting, unless they’re an expert, people would be hard-pressed to know that it is not a Scotch.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

That’s especially useful during a global event like the World Cup—when even the most devoted soccer fan is hard-pressed to keep track of every group-stage result, knockout permutation, and concurring match windows.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more irresistible character on television than Cirie Fields on the 50th edition of “Survivor,” or one more discussed than “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul.

From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026

It’s an incredible level of control that investors would be hard-pressed to find in publicly traded companies.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

While other tributes that year were hard-pressed to get a handful of grain or some matches for a gift, Finnick never wanted for anything, not food or medicine or weapons.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins