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
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Recent Examples of hard-pressed
Such leaders would be hard-pressed to turn down a plan premised on promoting exactly that, provided it is shorn of thorny institutional issues.
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Marwan Muasher, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024
The Bulls take on the Bucks tonight in Milwaukee, but Chicago fans will be hard-pressed to watch it.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
In Christopher Nolan’s Next Event Film At Universal Jayme Lawson Latest To Join Edgar Wright’s Paramount Adaptation Of ‘The Running Man’
Way of the Warrior Kid follows a self-doubting boy (Hill) who gets bullied and is hard-pressed to complete a single pull-up.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2024
Johnson will be hard-pressed to stem the infighting if Republicans retain control of the House next year.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hard-pressed 
Marwan Muasher, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2024
The Bulls take on the Bucks tonight in Milwaukee, but Chicago fans will be hard-pressed to watch it.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
In Christopher Nolan’s Next Event Film At Universal Jayme Lawson Latest To Join Edgar Wright’s Paramount Adaptation Of ‘The Running Man’
Way of the Warrior Kid follows a self-doubting boy (Hill) who gets bullied and is hard-pressed to complete a single pull-up.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2024
Johnson will be hard-pressed to stem the infighting if Republicans retain control of the House next year.
—Max Thornberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hard-pressed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-pressed
Adjective
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He’s likewise perplexed that heavy industry is to be entrusted with solving the climate crisis.Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024
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But something’s also got Kat looking very perplexed, and given that this is The Way Home, the mysterious source of her confusion could be anything from a time-travel twist to a relationship speedbump.Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The most interesting aspect that came out of that time with him — besides a green light to make the movie — was that Bob also was a little baffled about the events that went down in the course of our movie.Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
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Murphy made the remark during an interview with WNYC as the public and lawmakers remain baffled over the source of the large drones.Greg Norman, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Some customers have been left bewildered at a venue that contains a total of 21 signs across its grounds, according to reporting from news agency SWNS.Maureen Mackey, Fox News, 25 Oct. 2024
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The clip received more than 3,900 shares and 4.1 million views on X. In the footage a young girl dressed in pink walks along the chilled aisle of a superstore, throwing products as bewildered customers look on.Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Don’t be embarrassed to get outside help or an agency to do the initial content work for you.Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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Their emotional vocabulary will expand over time to incorporate more complex feelings such as frustrated, confused, embarrassed, and disappointed.Kelsey Mora, Contributor, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hard-pressed
Cite this Entry
“Hard-pressed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-pressed. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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