the hard way
noun
: in a way that involves difficult or painful experiences
He found out the hard way that crime doesn't pay.
She insisted on doing things the hard way.
Examples of the hard way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Customers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars, something McDonald’s and Chipotle learned the hard way.
—
Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024
Lumberton twice learned the hard way that today's hurricanes can target communities far from the coast.
—Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2024
The bigger problem, as the United States learned the hard way in Afghanistan, is that security forces must have a government that inspires confidence.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2024
UnitedHealth is learning the hard way that carelessness about cybersecurity can have a material effect on earnings.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for the hard way 
Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 6 Aug. 2024
Lumberton twice learned the hard way that today's hurricanes can target communities far from the coast.
—Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2024
The bigger problem, as the United States learned the hard way in Afghanistan, is that security forces must have a government that inspires confidence.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2024
UnitedHealth is learning the hard way that carelessness about cybersecurity can have a material effect on earnings.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for the hard way
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the hard way.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“The hard way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20hard%20way. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
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