1
as in certain
having been established and usually not subject to change
hard-and-fast rules that governed the corporate environment in those days included strictures regarding office dress that were rigidly enforced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unchangeable
not capable of changing or being changed
hard-and-fast beliefs that are the rock-solid foundation of their religion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hard-and-fast
Dogs bred for alertness or reactivity may be more attuned to sound, though this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule.
—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
7 Apr. 2026
There are no hard-and-fast rules for replacing a mattress.
—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
One hard-and-fast rule to live by in this case?
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
But even in the absence of hard-and-fast rules and guardrails on how AI can be used in schools, education policymakers identified a number of ethical concerns raised by the technology’s spread, including student safety, data privacy and negative impacts on student learning.
—
Janice Mak,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
7 Apr. 2026
There are no hard-and-fast rules for replacing a mattress.
—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
One hard-and-fast rule to live by in this case?
—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
But even in the absence of hard-and-fast rules and guardrails on how AI can be used in schools, education policymakers identified a number of ethical concerns raised by the technology’s spread, including student safety, data privacy and negative impacts on student learning.
—
Janice Mak,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
-
The technology has drawn public controversy since Detroit first signed a contract covering certain police precincts in 2020, and again in late 2022.
-
By then Tanacharison is telling Washington that he is mystically protected, in the mode of certain Indigenous warriors who were placed on earth to be leaders.
Adjective
-
Families can also create irrevocable trusts to remove countable assets towards Medicaid qualification, but remember, irrevocable trusts are usually unchangeable.
-
Policies Vary by Location As generous as Aldi’s approach can be, there are a few places where the rules are solid and unchangeable.
Adjective
-
For a stable, repo-local script, that critique holds, and wrapping every small command in a gateway adds surface area no one needs.
-
The four children and three adult victims are in stable condition, Tisch said.
Adjective
-
The soccer world has moved on from the idea that a coach must share his players' blood and that a team’s identity is just a reflection of an unchanging national character.
-
Typically, people recover meteorites in geologically unchanging regions, such as deserts or ice fields, where the meteorites stand out against the landscape.
Adjective
-
That deficit set off a litany of Boise chances in the final 10 minutes.
-
That momentous draw came in the final group-stage game of the prestigious tournament.
Adjective
-
There’s no fixed salary to fall back on.
-
Give Yourself Time To Become A Leader Remember that the transformation from founder to leader is an ongoing process, not a fixed state.
Adjective
-
Not long afterward, he was elected president on a platform deeply hostile to the West and its liberal ideology, and especially to the United States — threatening a hard fight in the event of war.
-
That’s hard to imagine of a president who uses the office to promote and prosper from his own brand name.
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
