hard-line

adjective

ˈhärd-ˈlīn How to pronounce hard-line (audio)
Synonyms of hard-linenext
: advocating or involving a rigidly uncompromising course of action
a hard-line policy
hard-liner
ˈhärd-ˈlī-nər How to pronounce hard-line (audio)
noun

Synonyms of hard-line

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Examples of hard-line in a Sentence

a hard-line approach to the sentencing of repeat offenders
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But Tehran’s hard-line new senior leaders including Rezaei have signaled a willingness to dig in after weathering decades of sanctions. — Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 This has left many wondering how much of this hard-line approach might change if Gadi Eisenkot, the veteran military official who is running ahead of Netanyahu in the polls, manages to defeat him. — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026 That post went to Hossein Taeb, a hard-line cleric and longtime intelligence chief who led one of the first major crackdowns on protests, in 2009. — Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026 Netanyahu’s hard-line government has been accused of turning a blind eye to the settler attacks in the West Bank, which many governments around the world consider illegally occupied. — F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-line

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hard-line was in 1903

Rhymes for hard-line

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Browse Nearby Words

hard lead
hard-line
hard-liner
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Cite this Entry

“Hard-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hard-line. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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