hard nut to crack
The phrase "hard nut to crack" is a metaphorical expression used to describe something or someone that is particularly challenging to deal with or understand.
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Definition
B2General
(idiomatic, informal)A problem or situation that is very difficult to solve or understand.
Example
- The mystery of the missing keys turned out to be a hard nut to crack.
B2Social
(idiomatic, informal)A person who is difficult to deal with or persuade.
Example
- Despite his friendly demeanor, he is a hard nut to crack when it comes to negotiations.
B2Economic
(idiomatic, informal)An amount or financial situation that is difficult to manage or finance.
Example
- Raising the funds for the new project proved to be a hard nut to crack.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "hard nut to crack":
tough nut to cracktough cookiehard as nailstough as nailshard outhard casecrack openhard wordhard timehard goingcrack throughbitter pill to swallowlucky nut