hardball

noun/ˈhɑrdˌbɔl/

Frequency rank: #16,279 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

a tough, uncompromising approach or aggressive tactics, especially in business or politics.

Illustration for the English word “hardball”

Example sentence

The lawyer decided to play hardball and refused to settle for anything less than full compensation.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 16,201–16,300