as in strict
not allowing for any exceptions or loosening of standards
a hard-line approach to the sentencing of repeat offenders
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-line
Central to that effort were meetings among Trump, Vice President Vance and a cross-section of wary House Republicans — from hard-line conservatives to moderate GOP lawmakers — who shuttled to the White House on Wednesday morning.
—
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 3 July 2025
Serra, whose father fought in the Resistance, but in a non-Communist brigade that never reconciled itself with the more hard-line postwar Communists, admits more than a measure of sympathy for Malaparte.
—Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Trump has vowed to remove millions of immigrants without legal status as part of a hard-line mass deportation policy.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Abrego Garcia, a construction worker who had been living in Maryland, became a flashpoint over Trump’s hard-line immigration policies when he was mistakenly deported to his native El Salvador in March.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-line
Mike Lillis, The Hill, 3 July 2025
Serra, whose father fought in the Resistance, but in a non-Communist brigade that never reconciled itself with the more hard-line postwar Communists, admits more than a measure of sympathy for Malaparte.
—Thomas Meaney, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Trump has vowed to remove millions of immigrants without legal status as part of a hard-line mass deportation policy.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Abrego Garcia, a construction worker who had been living in Maryland, became a flashpoint over Trump’s hard-line immigration policies when he was mistakenly deported to his native El Salvador in March.
—Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-line
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-line
Adjective
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President Donald Trump's administration has announced strict new visa restrictions for Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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The rule requires refiners and fuel distributors to meet stricter emissions targets even as refineries close in a state that has long made its hostility to the oil and gas industry clear.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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The loss of trustworthiness in the rigorous and nonpartisan work of the Task Force would devastate patients, hospital systems, and payers as misinformation creates barriers to accessing lifesaving and cost effective care.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 July 2025
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Before a potential controller can even step foot in the academy, there’s a rigorous application and qualification process.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hard-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-line. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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