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hard yards

British

plural noun

a great deal of effort or hard work, esp in playing a sport

Dallaglio's ability to make the hard yards and cross the gain line

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

But if England can do the hard yards, the opposition can only defend for so long.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2024

But they are fewer and further between, her hard yards in the off-season coming good at the right time.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2023

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