play hard ball

He said with any other product, supermarkets would "play hard ball on margins" with suppliers.

She said the record level of borrowing would only become a problem "if our creditors started wanting to play hard ball or if we were in a situation where we had higher interest rates".

However, when they hear that the president has only agreed to a 15-minute meeting, they decide to play hard ball and cancel, demanding to be taken more seriously.

The statements reflect the complicated diplomatic path that Mr. Johnson is walking as he tries to woo Mr. Trump and play hard ball with Brussels — without completely alienating European leaders.

But the assembly has been trying to play hard ball, insisting that only the party leader candidates who ran in last month’s elections should be eligible for the post.