play hardball

基本解释

It looks like our competitors want to play hardball.
看来，我们的竞争对手想采取强硬的手段。
"The new government will find that the Troika plans to play hardball, " says Tom Elliott, International Investment Strategist at deVere Group.
英国金融咨询公司德维尔集团国际投资战略家汤姆•埃利奥特表示：“希腊新政府将发现，三巨头计划采取强硬态度。”

With an election year coming, it is unlikely the Democrats are going to play hardball with corporate donors.
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Even if you're ready to play hardball, warding off hackers is expensive.
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