tough sledding

Idioms  

1. Difficult work or progress, as in This bill faces tough sledding in the legislature. This idiom transfers the route on which a sled can travel to other kinds of progress toward a goal. It was first recorded as hard sledding in 1839. For the antonym, see easy sledding.

---

Example Sentences

On the track, though, it’s been tough sledding.

From Seattle Times

“I thought we got off to a really good start in our rhythm. After that it was tough sledding.”

From Seattle Times

After a promising start 20-18 start his first three years that included a pair of bowl appearances, it’s been tough sledding for Justin Wilcox who is 10-18 in the past three years.

From Seattle Times

The 89 yards on that drive accounted for almost a third of the Seahawks’ 279 yards on a day when the offense had a lot of tough sledding on a field that was wet with a persistent rain.

From Seattle Times

It made for tough sledding for Ms. Collins, who was like an athlete playing an away game on hostile turf: She had to battle the crowd and the candidate simultaneously.

From New York Times