Definition of hard-pressednext
as in perplexed
faced with difficulty or uncertainty about what to say, think, or do they will be hard-pressed to come up with any facts that actually support their argument

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hard-pressed Even if the bullpen had been perfect after Rodriguez left, the Angels still would have been hard-pressed to win with the current state of their lineup. — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026 The fact that most non-Natives, and many Natives as well, would be hard-pressed to put together a list of Native American foods—that’s colonization in action. — Literary Hub, 20 July 2026 American consumers are hard-pressed to remember a time when inflation wasn’t on their minds. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 July 2026 Dominant streaming platform Netflix reports earnings after the bell on Thursday, and analysts are sounding hard-pressed to find a meaningful driver for the stock. — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
  • The exact reason for the planet's unusual tilt has long perplexed astronomers, and debate continues over what might have led to its present-day appearance.
    — Micah Hanks, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
  • University leaders and state lawmakers from these rural Oklahoma are perplexed to find themselves in the crosshairs of this culture war issue.
    — Andrea Eger, Oklahoma Watch, 6 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Thanks to the coffered and baffled wood ceilings, noise levels are buffered and kept to a pleasant rumble.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The idea of there being two movies about concrete in the first place is baffling to me; Wilson, on the other hand, seems baffled that such a situation would stop a studio from greenlighting a project.
    — Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Five o’clock Saturday, the Riverside Stadium and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg is fist-pumping a half-bewildered but fully enthused home crowd.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • He’s supposed to be embarrassed by me, not frightened for me.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • They are guaranteed to get embarrassed by your constant attempts to order in the local language.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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