as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
a hard-bitten Apache chief who could endure the scorching heat of the Arizona desert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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-bitten
Her hard-bitten, cynical persona provides a nice juxtaposition to how maudlin so much commentary about motherhood can be.
—
Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
But the sentiments are the razors in the apples: hard-bitten, painful, wise from disappointment, and braced for the next crisis.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Alaska has devolved into a colony of big oil, and its politics have become so closed, hard-bitten, and strident.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2015
Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
But the sentiments are the razors in the apples: hard-bitten, painful, wise from disappointment, and braced for the next crisis.
—Spin Team, SPIN, 28 Nov. 2024
Alaska has devolved into a colony of big oil, and its politics have become so closed, hard-bitten, and strident.
—Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-bitten
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The inner ball is made from sturdy solid styrofoam.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At least for now, Bath’s example illustrates the possibilities in terms of both promise and avenues for development—by emulating nature (selecting hardy strains of Bacillus) and pharmaceutical engineering (capsule technology), civil engineers are rethinking concrete from the inside out.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The hardy beans are just some of the hundreds of seed varieties preserved at Native Seeds/SEARCH, whose gardens are continuously planted, even in the middle of the summer.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The legislation has stalled amid strong pushback from critics.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Kodai Senga got the ball for the Mets and turned in a strong performance in his season debut.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perched on a bluff that overlooks Irish Beach, a private area within Manchester State Park, the home boasts an unobstructed, 180-degree view of the rugged Mendocino coastline.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Vogue,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike the near side -- the side seen from Earth -- which is smoother and has flat lava plains known as maria, the far side is rugged and heavily cratered.—
ByMary Kekatos,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The judge assigned to Amin’s case was Iman Afshari, known in Tehran for his tough sentences—a reputation that led the European Union to place him on a blacklist, in January, for human-rights abuses.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Two sisters in Big Bear are facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The sand mound in question is reportedly approximately 108 feet tall, made of hardened sand rather than bedrock.—
Ryan Brennan
April 1,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Electronic warfare systems often fail against autonomous drones with hardened communications, while missile interceptors are inefficient against low-cost, high-volume threats.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tell us that just a single engagement of moderate to vigorous physical activity can improve sleep, decrease anxiety and lower blood pressure.—
Helen Dennis,
Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Dwarf varieties, for example, can fit in a small bowl of water on your patio; larger, more vigorous lilies need a pool that has space for their roots to spread.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
He's been deemed good to go and joins a stout rotation that this season will include Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Keuilian, a stout, bearded fifty-one-year-old, founded Fit Body Boot Camp, a global personal-training franchise, in 2010, and now lives in Chino Hills, California.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-bitten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-bitten. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
