bitter pill
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.
Paramount would have a bitter pill to swallow if regulators actually blocked the transaction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
For USC, it was an especially bitter pill to swallow, considering how well things had started.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026
It was a bitter pill to swallow for a young man who had spoken to AFP before the game about wanting to be an "all-time great" and to emulate his illustrious Patriots predecessor Tom Brady.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
It would be a bitter pill to swallow if you had to hire another heating engineer and pay a third time.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026
It was a bitter pill for me to swallow, too.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
![]()
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.