hard put

But conspiracy theorists will be hard put to connect the dots.

He who had always been poor, and had often been hard put to it to pay for food and clothes, found himself ridiculously wealthy.

I lived on a ranch in California, and was hard put to find the ladder whereby to climb.

A man in Brocton's position must be hard put to it to turn traitor in this strange fashion.

Osmo was an industrious youth, but the farm was small and barren and he was hard put to it to make a livelihood.

The Peasants are so hard put to it to preserve their Corn that they are oblig'd to watch it day and night.