hardball

[hahrd-bawl]

hard·ball

[hahrd-bawl]
noun
1.
baseball, as distinguished from softball.
adjective
2.
tough or ruthless: He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.
3.
outspoken, challenging, or difficult: Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.

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Hardball is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
4.
play hardball, to act or work aggressively, competitively, or ruthlessly, as in business or politics.

Origin:
1825–35; hard + ball1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
hardball (ˈhɑːdbɔːl)
 
n
1.  (US), (Canadian) baseball as distinct from softball
2.  informal chiefly (US), (Canadian) play hardball to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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