: gained by great effort
a hard-won victory

Examples of hard-won in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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

Word History

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-won was in 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Hard-won.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-won. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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