as in difficulties
something that is a cause for suffering or special effort especially in the attainment of a goal
working two jobs was a hardship he was willing to endure to get out of debt
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Recent Examples of hardships
So as opposed to, say, inspiring American leaders of all kinds, like a real explanation of the character of Harriet Tubman or of Chief Joseph or Americans struggled against real hardships.
—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
1 July 2026
The cuts to staff created hardships for those of us remaining because we were forced to pick up a lot of extra work.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
30 June 2026
Over the years, the couple have faced several personal hardships.
—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
The article emphasizes earning loyalty by leading from the front, much like Alexander the Great, who shared his troops' hardships.
—
Steve Muscato,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Cleaning up the landscape is necessary to reduce wildfire risk, the supervisors wrote, but the county is sensitive to the hardships that property owners face.
—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
According to Alvarez, Nina’s brother, whose dream was to become a swimmer is also feeling the strain of the family’s hardships.
—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2026
There are many other hardships for a legitimate owner.
—
Donovan McCarty,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 July 2026
The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
1 July 2026
The cuts to staff created hardships for those of us remaining because we were forced to pick up a lot of extra work.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
30 June 2026
Over the years, the couple have faced several personal hardships.
—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
The article emphasizes earning loyalty by leading from the front, much like Alexander the Great, who shared his troops' hardships.
—
Steve Muscato,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
Cleaning up the landscape is necessary to reduce wildfire risk, the supervisors wrote, but the county is sensitive to the hardships that property owners face.
—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
According to Alvarez, Nina’s brother, whose dream was to become a swimmer is also feeling the strain of the family’s hardships.
—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 June 2026
There are many other hardships for a legitimate owner.
—
Donovan McCarty,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardships
difficulties
Noun
-
The setback stems from difficulties manufacturing a key circuit board at the heart of the system, SemiAnalysis said in a post on Monday.
-
Common symptoms include headache, dizziness, memory problems, and balance difficulties.
Cite this Entry
“Hardships.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardships. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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