1
as in certain
having been established and usually not subject to change
hard-and-fast rules that governed the corporate environment in those days included strictures regarding office dress that were rigidly enforced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unchangeable
not capable of changing or being changed
hard-and-fast beliefs that are the rock-solid foundation of their religion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hard-and-fast
But even in the absence of hard-and-fast rules and guardrails on how AI can be used in schools, education policymakers identified a number of ethical concerns raised by the technology’s spread, including student safety, data privacy and negative impacts on student learning.
—
Janice Mak, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
This was my hard-and-fast belief — up until the trailer for The Sheep Detectives was released on December 18.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
There’s no hard-and-fast rule, and if someone tells you there is?
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2025
Final Thoughts Like most decision-making in business, there are no hard-and-fast rules.
—Lisa Zeiderman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Janice Mak, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
This was my hard-and-fast belief — up until the trailer for The Sheep Detectives was released on December 18.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
There’s no hard-and-fast rule, and if someone tells you there is?
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2025
Final Thoughts Like most decision-making in business, there are no hard-and-fast rules.
—Lisa Zeiderman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hard-and-fast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hard-and-fast
Adjective
-
Regulations require certain size hallways, for example, and heavy robotic equipment may need extra floor support and special elevators.—
Suzanne King,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
-
Recent polling suggests that roughly 30% of young Americans hold the view that political violence can be justified in certain circumstances.—
Andrew Cuomo,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Policies Vary by Location As generous as Aldi’s approach can be, there are a few places where the rules are solid and unchangeable.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Most of these items can be purchased separately for a reasonable price, so focus more on the unchangeable aspects of the cage when choosing, such as size and accessibility.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The survivor is in stable condition.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
He was placed on detox monitoring, which was later discontinued after his condition appeared stable.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Through some creative circuitry, chip-scale EPR reverses this setup—using a simple magnet to create an unchanging field and sweeping through a band of oscillation frequencies.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The images are a clear demonstration of how Mars is far more geologically alive than our almost unchanging moon.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Cleveland had the lead and the ball in the final 20 seconds of overtime and still managed to lose 112-110.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
-
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner made a move around the final turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’s Explora and and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning before the finish line of the 1 1/8-mile race.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Even if those issues could be addressed, the tax base would not remain fixed.—
Martha E. Stark,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Moments of humor sit alongside lamentation and ritual intensity, underscoring the exhibition’s refusal of a single, fixed reading.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Without him, that identity is harder to maintain.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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The layout resembled a samurai sword, where the hardest material is concentrated mainly along the cutting edge.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hard-and-fast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hard-and-fast. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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