hard yards
Britishplural noun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We talk a lot about doing the hard yards and sometimes at this level you can beat teams through persistence and put the effort in that maybe other teams won't."
From Barron's ● Jan. 17, 2026
These epic trips could be made easier by success - the prospect of glory making the hard yards feel a little lighter.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2025
“As we get more and more of the hard yards behind us, my excitement about what’s possible for Citi grows exponentially,” Fraser said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
He was cute in the link-up play but when his team really needed him, he did the hard yards defensively.
From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2025
And then the hope - yes, of course they have thought this far - is that as the next general election approaches, they can prove the hard yards of 2024 and 2025 were worth it.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
