phrase

• A difficult task.

  ‘first-time novelists have a tough row to hoe’

  More example sentences

  • ‘I'm beginning to get the feeling that if we had control freak parents we have a tough row to hoe when relating to others and particularly our own children.’
  • ‘With a kid, there are always so many little GI Joe army boots and stray Lego pieces and art projects lying around, it's a tough row to hoe to keep things tidy.’
  • ‘When my older brother went off to college and had to manage without her cooking, it was a tough row to hoe for him.’
  • ‘Well, it's a long story, but to shorten it up: first-time novelists have a tough row to hoe.’
  • ‘I see the film studio having a tough row to hoe with this.’
  • ‘‘They already have a tough row to hoe at this point, just to preserve, contain and keep their audience content,’ Maio says.’
  • ‘Real estate can be a tough row to hoe for first-time homebuyers.’
  • ‘It didn't take me very long to realize that making even a modest living as an artist was a tough row to hoe!’
  • ‘You have a tough row to hoe and still need to be a source of stability for your son.’
  • ‘Even though the burden of proof is on the prosecution, the reality is that when one side presents emotional, detailed stories, the defense has a hard row to hoe.’