HARD WAY, THE Definition & Meaning

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hard way, the

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Idioms and Phrases

By bad or difficult experiences; also, by one's own efforts. For example, Bill found out the hard way that interest on his credit-card debt can mount up fast , or No one can teach you how—you'll just have to learn it the hard way . This expression comes from shooting craps (a dice game), where it refers to making an even-numbered point such as six by throwing doubles (two three's). Since there are more unmatching combinations that can produce the same number (four and two, five and one), the odds against throwing doubles are higher, hence the difficulty. [Early 1900s]

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Rep. Adam Schiff was reminded of the hard way: The Democratic congressman had his luggage swiped from his car while it was parked in a downtown garage.

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“Mr. Magana has learned the hard way the effects of his actions — loss of freedom, loss of job, loss of family,” the defense wrote.

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Except, as Freud was soon to learn the hard way, the Nazis were not content with just burning his books.

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As Hall learned the hard way, the law makes no exception for lethal fetal anomalies.

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This is a lesson I didn’t have to learn the hard way: The one time a rental car agency tried to bill me for a door ding, I notified my credit card company.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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hard way, the

Idioms and Phrases

Example Sentences