school of hard knocks
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of school of hard knocks
An Americanism dating back to 1910–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brown agreed, saying, “Through the school of hard knocks, we’re better at managing through it.”
From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2022
After all, the hotel job was a step up on what he’d done before, in a whole other school of hard knocks.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 25, 2019
Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock found out what the school of hard knocks will be like under new head coach Vic Fangio.
From Reuters ● Jul. 19, 2019
“I come from the school of hard knocks, I come from some of the worst tracks in the country,” he said.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 2, 2018
I admit, too, that nearly every city—yes, almost every town—contains conspicuous illustrations of men who learned how to "get there" by attending the school of hard knocks.
From The Young Man and the World by Albert Jeremiah Beveridge
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
