Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun informal One who exhibits hardball (tough or ruthless) behaviour.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

hardball +‎ -er

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Examples

  • A week later, on MSNBC, the hardballer Chris Matthews was swept up in beach-ball euphoria as America's armed forces toppled the Saddam regime.

    Norman Solomon: A Bloody Media Mirror 2008

  • The defeat of the Howard government was widely predicted but in recent elections Howard (a very clever politician and political hardballer) has had a frustrating knack for winning/"buying" the votes where it actually mattered in the marginal seats.

    Another Prime Bush Ally Dumped-- Aussie Howard "Suffers Humiliating Defeat" 2007

  • He has a vicious reputation as a political hardballer and more than one Republican has been scorched by him for not toeing the party line with Nuremberg-rally-like enthusiasm -- just ask John McCain about the South Carolina primary in 2000.

    July 2005 2005

  • Michelman, a premier advocate of abortion rights, faced a different form of sexism during the run-up to the Democrats 'primaries: MSNBC hardballer Chris Matthews asserted that she had

    Latest Articles 2008

  • Michelman, a premier advocate of abortion rights, faced a different form of sexism during the run-up to the Democrats 'primaries: MSNBC hardballer Chris Matthews asserted that she had

    Latest Articles 2008

  • Michelman, a premier advocate of abortion rights, faced a different form of sexism during the run-up to the Democrats 'primaries: MSNBC hardballer Chris Matthews asserted that she had

    Latest Articles 2008

  • Gabby is transactional and proud to be on the winning edge of the Free Market where there are winners and losers, but mostly losers.6/25/2006 07:01:00 PM|W|P| anonymous|W|P|What is a Costanzo hardballer?

    Archive 2006-06-01 2006

  • He danced around the subject only to be brought back by the gruff hardballer ".

    Sen. Kirk Watson Pummeled On National TV 2008

  • The hardballer was nearly rapturous as he said: "Can you smell the English Leather on this guy, the Aqua Velva, the sort of mature man ` s shaving cream, or whatever, you know, after he shaved?

    Norman Solomon: Announcing the P.U.-litzer Prizes for 2007 2008

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