Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tate captures the tension between opportunity and limitation, reminding readers that equality is often pursued in spaces where recognition is hard-won.—Literary Hub,
26 June 2026 O’Keeffe’s was a feminism of rugged individuality, which for her had been hard-won.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
29 May 2026 All of it was hard-won, and a sharp turn from her sunny start.—
Andrea Mandell,
PEOPLE,
7 May 2026 Four Practices That Close the Gap These are specific moves, drawn from research and hard-won experience.—
Daisy Auger-Domínguez,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2026 The progress earned by ethnic minorities and women in the armed services was hard-won.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026 Davis is wry and quietly defiant of stereotype, her Elaine’s composure hard-won and her sacrifice of certain kinds of sympathy fully comprehensible.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026 Hollingworth’s arrival at this joyful point was hard-won.—
Aimee Cliff,
Pitchfork,
16 Jan. 2026 Healing is slow, and every small moment of peace feels hard-won.—
Brandi Hicken,
Time,
12 Dec. 2025