He wore his eyeglasses inside his space suit, and that made it particularly difficult to see. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

She had even tried to keep them hidden from herself, though it was becoming increasingly difficult. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

“They were a group of sisters taking their father to Peshawar for medical treatment. They were having a difficult time with the old man because he was so sick.” Shooting Kabul 2010-06-22T00:00:00Z

Keeping track of the artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Italy is as difficult as keeping track of the tax laws in the nineteen fifties and sixties in the United States. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

With that refreshment I could perhaps regain a degree of energy: without it, it would be difficult to proceed. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult version to believe, but there was no other more plausible, and no one could think of any motive for Rebeca to murder the man who had made her happy. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

The only really difficult part was not laughing myself, especially when Art3mis started doing note-perfect recitations of all of Carol Cleveland’s lines in the Castle Anthrax scene. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

I would have asked David, but as the leader of the Bureau, he is difficult to find. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

“Keep the rest. It’s difficult wood to work with.” The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for Taran and his companions to realize they were underground. The Book of Three 1964-03-12T00:00:00Z

The most difficult part of keeping a “white room” really clean is people, who are always dirty—even just after a bath. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I couldn’t guarantee anything.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Tremors go through my body now that I am close, making it difficult to walk. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

Hrdlicka told Figgins that if more spear points turned up, he should not excavate them, because that would make it difficult for others to view them in their archaeological and geological context. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

Real gravitons make up what classical physicists would call gravitational waves, which are very weak—and so difficult to detect that they have not yet been observed. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

Then I went upstairs again really quietly, but it was difficult because my legs were shaking. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

I shudder so hard my teeth chatter, and it’s difficult to keep walking, hard to keep my thoughts straight. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

“Sir Savien” is the most difficult song I had ever heard. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

“A key is nothing,” I said; “there may be duplicates; and anyhow it is not difficult to pick a lock of that kind.” Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

Somewhere above the trees, the zeppelins were hovering, and men were sliding down ropes, but the wind made it difficult for the pilots to hold the aircraft steady. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

The chaplain did not approve of Captain Black and found it difficult not to wish him evil. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z

My mom is very smart and certainly engages us on many levels, but when we asked a difficult question, she’d say, ‘Because I said so.’ Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

It was as difficult to stop his relentless pacing as to refrain from shouting. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

With thirty- one notes per octave, it was ludicrously difficult to play and did not catch on. The Story of Music 2012-12-25T00:00:00Z

"Thank you for the wine. We will speak again. When you see me next at council, be certain to treat me with your accustomed contempt. You should not find it difficult." A Game of Thrones 1997-08-04T00:00:00Z

The setting of the sun is a difficult time for all fish. The Old Man and The Sea 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a Latin phrase he used whenever I complained that something was difficult. Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

“I suppose it will be difficult for you to remain here now, Biddy dear?” Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

My throat still feels as tight as it did when he first injected me and I found it difficult to breathe. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to find places to step, though Marco glides ahead of him with much less difficulty. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

“It is so difficult to fix a sum,” said I, hesitating. Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

Experimental confirmation of the calculation is much more difficult. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

The teachers' plan was to show how difficult it was to register, by marching past the closed door of the registration office and then out of the building. Because They Marched 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z

Foragers relied on dozens of species to survive, and could therefore weather difficult years even without stocks of preserved food. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

About a quarter of one’s salary had to be earmarked for voluntary subscriptions, which were so numerous that it was difficult to keep track of them. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

Jagged rocks and fallen trees and tangled underbrush made it difficult for her to walk. The Wild Robot 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

Finding a ticket is difficult for most people now that the trains have been taken over by the German army for their own transportation. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

“It was an experiment, and the components are difficult to balance properly.” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

These workers who sympathized with Nazario knew that they had a union, so it would be difficult for them to lose their jobs. Bodega Dreams 2000-03-14T00:00:00Z

Worst of all, it made a plane that was already difficult to take off even more difficult. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

It's difficult and painful work, and most whites don’t want to expose the laver of racism, even to themselves, let alone to others. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

Age is difficult to tell, about five years old. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

For they are fortified in such a manner that everyone considers their capture to be a tedious and difficult affair. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

Whether the people felt that way about the wood or not is difficult to say. Tuck Everlasting 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to negotiate with those who do not share the same frame of reference. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

He wanted to believe her, but it was difficult at the moment. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

Concentration became difficult, but something in the back of his mind told him that flapping was bad. The Martian 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

The trip downtown had been far more difficult than he’d imagined, in spite of how well it had started. The Dead and the Gone 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

In this letter, which Holmes never mailed, Alice reported that little Howard was being difficult. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

If it rained, he knew, it would come hard, making it difficult for them to fire their guns. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

It had been a little difficult to see through the crowd. Messenger 2004-04-26T00:00:00Z

As difficult as it was to disobey his father, he continued to train. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

The nondemanding, lethargic nature of the classes he was in made it difficult to fault his attitude about school. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

The glare off the windshield made it difficult to see well, but the two torsos angled their way were clear enough. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

Three lessons on, Apparition was proving as difficult as ever, though a few more people had managed to Splinch themselves. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Although Scythe Faraday had not, since that first day, asked them to be the life-taking hand, being an accomplice was difficult enough. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

From our position here in Fort Annex, it’s difficult to gauge the mood of the Dutch. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

The world of thought, belief and feeling is by definition far more difficult to decipher. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Unfortunately, the still air brought a heat haze that covered the water and made it difficult to see very far. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The next day, after what surely had been a difficult night, Dora Root wrote to Burnham to thank him for the tour and to attempt to convey the complexity of her feelings. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

I had set out to do something new and difficult for me. The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z

It’s all still so new to Alex, but it’s not difficult to follow through on what’s been playing out in elaborate detail in his head for the past hour. Red, White & Royal Blue 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

It was very difficult for Jamie to control his thoughts when he was tired, sleepy, and lying on his back. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

He avoids her at every turn, and is difficult to spot in the crowd since he is dressed identically to the rest of the staff. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

We can both pronounce the show sound that's difficult for Americans. You Bring the Distant Near 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

He thought about the difficult situation Amanda now faced—poor, alone, and expecting a child. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

DUMBLEDORE: A difficult thing, I imagine, to watch your child in pain. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 2016-07-31T00:00:00Z

I wish I could say that this is a difficult letter for me to write but in fact it is not. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

Separating oxygen from the atmosphere is difficult and time-consuming, but adding it is as simple as opening a valve. The Martian 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Money was a problem: Even a token payment to a caretaker was difficult to raise. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Celaena had already spent one blistering summer in the heat of the Red Desert, but to tell Nehemia that would only invite difficult questions. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

Mrs. Brook is back from visiting her difficult sister and the babies who are finally born now. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

In some places the passages were so crowded it was difficult to get through without stepping on someone. The Door in the Wall 1949-01-03T00:00:00Z

The five people sitting round the table seemed to find conversation difficult. And Then There Were None 1939-11-06T00:00:00Z

That fluid protects the brain from damage, but makes it very difficult to X-ray, since images taken through fluid are cloudy. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 2010-02-02T00:00:00Z

The western side of each ridge was steep and difficult, but the eastward slopes were gentler, furrowed with many gullies and narrow ravines. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

I’d had some difficult encounters with officers getting into prisons from time to time, mostly in small county jails or places where I’d never been before, but this was highly unusual. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

The train screeches to a stop, and my heart pounds so hard it’s difficult to breathe. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

Catching them was difficult, despite their being fat and slow. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

The riddle had to be something that kids both in and out of camps could figure out, and it couldn’t be too difficult, otherwise no one would ever get it. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

Celia shuts her eyes, attempting to concentrate, but it has always been difficult to push him away once he has grabbed ahold of her, and she cannot manage it. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She wished desperately that she could ask her mother for advice or just curl up in her arms and not have to worry about difficult decisions. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

It seems too difficult, so I go to bed. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

Capturing Edward Lee Howard was going to be much more difficult. Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

“It was difficult for them to drop me off knowing I wouldn’t be back for two years,” he says, looking back. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

They scrambled into the cockpits, took off, and scattered in every direction in the air—turning the Po-2s into difficult targets. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

In France, however, William had wrestled with even more difficult codes. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love, and it’s difficult to analyze love when you’re in it. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

Reading aloud in front of an audience was especially difficult for me. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

“Brightbill, I am afraid we have some difficult decisions to make. I think you should arrange a meeting of our closest friends. We could use their advice.” The Wild Robot 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

After a long and difficult moment, Ranofer managed to answer in a very low voice, “Thank you, Master. I understand. I will try very hard.” The Golden Goblet 1961-04-24T00:00:00Z

Ma and Pappa had called for an update, and it had been so difficult to tell them the truth: that it probably wasn’t going to work out with him and Dimple. When Dimple Met Rishi 2017-05-30T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to know what the point would be of talking about such a thing. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

What makes it a great deal more difficult to imagine is that everything which human beings would consider to be above the water level was fringed with all the colours of the spectrum. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It’s getting more difficult to be wise,” he says, laughing into my ear. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Adam nods too slowly, like it’s too difficult to comprehend everything I’m saying. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

“And your old Taocat, too!” he added to Elizabeth, with a difficult smile. The Incredible Journey 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z

“That’s amazing. It’s a terribly difficult harmony. And to remember all the lyrics ” I marveled silently for a moment, shaking my head. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

The walls and doors must be very solid, Kate reflected; it would be difficult to eavesdrop through them. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

He himself was finding it difficult to put faces with the caftan and uniform. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

Lord Bracken’s pavilion did not prove difficult to find. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

John Guiteau, who was seven years older than Charles, found his brother to be difficult and wanted nothing to do with him. Ambushed! 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

Fiber-optic cable is also ideal for secure communications, because it is very difficult to tap. The World Is Flat 2005-04-05T00:00:00Z

What made a purified molecule so difficult to image? she wondered. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

Even if it had been less dangerous, it would still have been difficult to find time to meet. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

I knew she must’ve had a difficult quest, because she didn’t even try to pulverize me. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

Ahead lay the most difficult part of their journey: the Akobo desert. A Long Walk to Water 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

He found it difficult to go to sleep again at once. Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

My mouth is dry, so it’s difficult to swallow. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

Getting Dad to take his annual flu shot was more difficult than getting his attention while the Marlins were playing. Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z

There was no amplification, however, and many of the women were so tense and inexperienced at addressing a crowd that it was difficult to hear what they were saying. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

Though I know that he had something to do with the attack simulation, and with all those deaths, I find it difficult to pair those actions with the man I see in front of me. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

If I hung around a monitor at the next Sale, it wouldn’t be difficult to browse through the pages. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

She shook her head at this, and, the difficult speech halting on her lips, she said further, “Well, and my lord, come home unexpectedly.” The Good Earth 1931-03-02T00:00:00Z

Barack had to make a difficult call, phoning the pastor and asking whether he'd be willing to step back from the spotlight, giving us a private backstage blessing instead. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

And before they will leave the shore and learn to swim, their mothers have to push them into the sea, which is often difficult to do because of their size. Island of the Blue Dolphins 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z

Secretary LaHood, who in his four-and-a-half-year tenure as the nation’s chief transportation authority, came across many harrowing tales and difficult safety issues. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

“Is it not very difficult, very dangerous, to summon a spirit?” A Wizard of Earthsea 1968-11-01T00:00:00Z

Not for the working-class child alone is adjustment to the classroom difficult. Hunger of Memory 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

By necessity, I suppose, it is difficult for me to explain in English exactly what I mean. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

The enormously complicated sequence of movements, each of which an oarsman must execute with exquisite precision, becomes exponentially more difficult to perform as the stroke rate increases. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

I was trying to get it down, but swallowing is proving difficult. A Mango-Shaped Space 2003-04-16T00:00:00Z

However difficult life may have been for the early miners, by the second half of the twentieth century Centralia was a reasonably prosperous, snug, hardworking town with a population approaching 2,000. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

Courtship was difficult; we were always surrounded by people, and there were few places to go. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I am finding it difficult to discern between asleep and awake,” Tara says, tugging at her lace cuffs again. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

As was explained in the first chapter, it would be very difficult to construct a complete unified theory of everything in the universe all at one go. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to believe that I hadn’t just imagined what Edward had said, and the way his eyes had looked. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

Actually, he was thinking about shearing his sheep in front of the merchant’s daughter, so that she could see that he was someone who was capable of doing difficult things. The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

The complex interactions of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system would make the search for a low-mass companion there very difficult. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was the skeleton of a Union soldier, though the uniform it wore was so ragged and filthy it was difficult to identify. Across Five Aprils 1964-01-01T00:00:00Z

And then there was the strangest line of all: The trip is a difficult one; I can carry nothing, and a man can only hold so much paper in his mouth. When You Reach Me 2009-07-14T00:00:00Z

From Castle Black the way was more difficult, right through the heart of the haunted forest. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

The fog clung to the river Nir all morning, making the trail difficult to see, and it did not burn off until afternoon. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

It would have been difficult to escape the White House. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

‘But not so difficult. Hobbits have climbed the Straight Stair. Next comes the Winding Stair.’ The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

“Since she made it difficult for the school, with her name change and all that. I remember how hard Mr. Elliot fought against letting me use the girls’ lockers.” Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

He finds watercolors difficult, but with Mauves tutelage he perseveres. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

“That oughtn’t to be difficult. He’s a Britisher, and does what he calls ‘Keeps himself to himself.’ Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

This to the practical bum is not difficult. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

But they are all too far away and therefore too difficult to observe to provide conclusive evidence of black holes. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

What I condemn are our system of values and the men who don’t acknowledge how great, difficult, but ultimately beautiful women’s share in society is. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

He had once told his children: “What I want most of all is that you live in uprightness and freedom of spirit, no matter how difficult that may be.” Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t every day that the arrest came to him, but late at night it was sometimes difficult to send away his anger. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

However, if Brunelleschi had mastered the geometry of perspective as early as 1413 it becomes a little difficult to explain why there are no surviving paintings which embody these principles before 1425. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

I liked having a project to do and I liked it especially if it was a difficult project like a book. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

“The whole program was intensely difficult,” said Dr. Cooper, hastening to agree. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

The task of putting the words and faces in the right categories suddenly became more difficult. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

And Julie said to Mother and Father that I would always find this very difficult. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

This was a problem, because it got difficult to find a tree that was easy to climb and had suitable branches to sleep in. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

“Well, really, it was Marcus who had the difficult day. I shouldn’t lay claim to it.” Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

It is difficult for me to imagine him there, surrounded by computers. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

It is still difficult at times, but I don’t get that knot in my stomach when I read out loud. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

How difficult could it be to outshine, outsmart, and then obliterate her competitors? Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

“I was trying to decide just what I should do. The situation was difficult.” Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

But with the war still raging, it was very difficult to make the arrangements. A Long Walk to Water 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Finding a permanent place to live in Reykjavik was difficult. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

"That wouldn't be too difficult for a clever witch." The Witches 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z

Why not advance science in its most difficult and vital aspect—the knowledge of the brain? Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

Even in outlandish cases, it’s often difficult to refute conclusively some proposed cure or procedure. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was too high and difficult for either of them to reach. Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

Constance’s eyelids were fluttering, and still she murmured, so quietly it was difficult to hear her, “No...no...no...” The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

He also experienced a “psychic giddiness” that made it difficult for him to walk a straight line. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult indeed—it is distressing. One does not know what to think.” Pride and Prejudice 1813-01-28T00:00:00Z

In the 1960s and 1970s, laws were enacted to make involuntary commitment much more difficult. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Though it was difficult to see from far away, he made out something glittering and silver packed into its small chamber, bits of what looked like crushed leaf. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

“It’s from Shakespeare. But I figured it was just Halliday’s way of letting us know how difficult he was going to make the Hunt.” Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

I am quite certain that you will use it to greater advantage in these difficult days than I ever can and that you will accept it as a lucky talisman. Nine Stories 1953-04-06T00:00:00Z

Learning the basics of child rearing is difficult at any time. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates 2010-04-27T00:00:00Z

They knew it would be a very difficult journey. The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

Using double or triple sharps or flats may seem to be making things more difficult than they need to be. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

This was the time to listen, not to talk, but it was difficult. Black Like Me 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z

I found this an increasingly difficult concept to warm to. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

In the end, early modern science defeated two of the most difficult practical problems it had set itself: the calculation of the path of projectiles under real-life conditions, and the measurement of longitude. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

There are no performers save the band, as it is difficult to hire entertainment to impress a gathering that is comprised predominantly of circus members. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

The sun behind him made it difficult to see his face. Beyond the Bright Sea 2017-05-02T00:00:00Z

It had been a long and difficult journey. 1919 The Year That Changed America 2019-01-08T00:00:00Z

I came to see God’s power only much later, as I looked back on the difficult journey. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Someone once said anyone can be great under rosy circumstances, but the true test of character is measured by how well a person makes decisions during difficult times. Hole in My Life 2002-03-26T00:00:00Z

They were too far away for him to see the brands, and the light brown spots were difficult to make out on their light hides, but they moved like deer, on long thin legs. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

Professor McGonagall’s classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

Considerably more stable than racing shells, they were nevertheless eccentric craft, easy to capsize and difficult to maneuver. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

Like the realists, we must insist that it is not so difficult to tell good science from bad, as long as you agree that knowledge should be carefully and systematically tested against experience. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for the armorers who had to load these guns, too, and the women who ended up doing this work weren’t at first particularly interested in bombs or guns or even in engineering. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

A layer of sweat built up inside his plastic head bubble, making it difficult for him to see the monkeys clearly. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

As Grandma India said, turning the other cheek could be difficult, but for me, it was also beginning to be a lot of fun. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

He didn’t often do his volunteer hours with his friend because Asher frequently fooled around and made serious work a little difficult. The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

This had been a difficult task, for they all suffered brain drains as their leading scientists returned to prewar academic posts or accepted jobs stem ming from their newfound eminence. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

They prove to be the ones most faithful to them, most in need of their company, least likely to challenge them or be difficult. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

“We hope you’ve been comfortable. This . . . ordeal. . . must be very hard for you. So difficult.” A Thousand Splendid Suns 2007-05-22T00:00:00Z

We turn to music to feel better, relieve anxiety, overcome a difficult situation, find calm and peace, or feel empowered and fearless. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

The consensus seems to be heading for a figure of about 13.7 billion years, but these things are notoriously difficult to measure, as we shall see further on. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

“I did inform you that your feelings for Miss Bowen would make the challenge more difficult for you,” his instructor replies. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

In their zeal to purify usage and safeguard the language, they have made it difficult to think clearly about felicity in expression and have muddied the task of explaining the art of writing. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

“Let’s calm down a bit. Obviously, this is difficult.” Auggie & Me 2015-07-20T00:00:00Z

The sky was dense and gray; it was difficult to estimate distances. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

These two disliked each other so much that it was difficult for them to come to any agreement, even in defence of their own interests. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story 1945-08-17T00:00:00Z

It is often difficult for military officers to grasp the fact that the civilian world does not hold them in shivering awe. The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

However, he wrote: Unless Reggie were to admit that he knew about the risks of texting while driving, he would be difficult to convict. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to watch his dad try to pull himself through, and Don was glad he had football. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

What I took out of them was that character was measured by facing up to difficult situations and that a hero was a man who would not break even under the most trying circumstances. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for me to believe that someone would take away my self-esteem, just to gain their own. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

The whole process had been so difficult, she wondered: If it had not been an anonymous entry 1026 hut rather an entry by Maya Lin, would I have been selected! Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam 2018-04-10T00:00:00Z

He had probably completed biology by now, she guessed, and would be studying higher mathematics, or astrophysics, or biochemistry, one of the subjects that was whispered about, when they were young, as incomprehensibly difficult. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to resist holding his hand or leaning over to kiss him. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

It wasn't difficult; it was enough never to sign up as a skilled worker. Night 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z

But his reducing, combined with the blunt-instrument character of diabetes treatment in the 1930s, made controlling his blood sugar extremely difficult. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

He also found it difficult, during the weeks and days before the escape, to avoid thoughts of what had happened to his mother and brother. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

He was in his sixties and had been a drug addict earlier in his life, making access to his veins difficult. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to separate out this presence from the others, but she was increasingly convinced that this spirit—if that is what it was—had a goal. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

Despite my optimism about the secret talks, it was a difficult time. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

For Howard, they would present some of the most difficult quandaries of his public life. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

In some states, Department of Motor Vehicles offices in minority neighborhoods have been shut down as well, making it even more difficult to obtain appropriate ID. 1919 The Year That Changed America 2019-01-08T00:00:00Z

Gwydion was satisfied with their progress, though he warned them the most difficult and dangerous portion of their journey was to come. The Black Cauldron 1965-06-01T00:00:00Z

Tsiolkovsky was almost totally deaf, and because of this handicap he had a very difficult time getting an education. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

And the feeling that maybe I shouldn’t have made it so difficult. Everything Sad Is Untrue 2020-08-25T00:00:00Z

“It shouldn’t be too difficult — I think the cloak’s big enough to cover two of us and Norbert.” Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

Everybody has seventeen of them, they said, and the Therbligs can be used in such a way as to make life difficult or easy for their possessor. Cheaper by the Dozen 1948-01-01T00:00:00Z

But now that it’s reached that point, I realize how difficult it is to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and find the right answer. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

“All the municipal services are doing what they can under tremendously difficult circumstances,” Father Franco said. The Dead and the Gone 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

For I must say I was a little surprised last night at how difficult it was actually to point to any passage which clearly demonstrated her wish to return. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

Whether it was clad in stuff like green and grey bark, or whether that was its hide, was difficult to say. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

Why enter this jungle of foreignness where everything is new, strange and difficult? Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

But—though this was one of the crimes that the accused in the great purges invariably confessed to—it was difficult to imagine any such thing actually happening. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

It is not difficult to identify a number of relevant factors. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Could he ever have imagined things would be this difficult? Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

Doña Charito dipped her brush into a jar of water and made all manner of finicky, tidying up, tapping noises on the brim, like a nursemaid spooning mouthfuls for a difficult baby. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

I knew she was being brave, trying to say goodbye with grace, but it was difficult for her. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

“Is this really such a difficult concept to grasp, Officer? Let me try to put this in language you can understand—she needs a potty, okay?” Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

The line between truth and myth is sometimes difficult to see. Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

Maybe this is what my teacher meant when she said college was difficult, I thought. Breaking Through 2001-08-27T00:00:00Z

Every few weeks I'd get a letter explaining that the police officers had done nothing wrong and that police work is very difficult. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

But if this argument is pressed too far it becomes difficult to explain why, in the eighteenth century, modern chemistry established itself not as a continuation of but as a refutation of alchemy. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

He didn’t seek her eyes but looked at something beyond her, something great and difficult to make out. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

Tycho had commended Mars to Kepler because its apparent motion seemed most anomalous, most difficult to reconcile with an orbit made of circles. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

They continued to build their churches in village greens dotting the coast, but found it difficult to progress into the interior of the country. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Their daughter, Pearl, became commensurately more difficult to manage, her behavior marked by periods of sullen withdrawal and eruptions of anger. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

He had imagined the descent would be very difficult, and surprised himself by handling it with ease, his confidence growing as he slid swiftly and noiselessly to the fern-covered ground. Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

To lose your grip out of terror after such a dangerous and difficult day, to fall at the very end of it—that was what Einar feared. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

Several large streams in the area, my Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine noted blithely, “can be difficult or dangerous to cross in high water.” A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

I had a feeling they were what would make my trip long and difficult. Kindred 1979-06-01T00:00:00Z

The food had been the most difficult to get. I'm the King of the Castle 1970-09-03T00:00:00Z

I can sense the silent plea from him, a friend who knows Hideo well enough to know how difficult he can be. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

When he did, he found the hatch was stuck, and he had a difficult time closing it. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to believe that they were heading for anything dangerous or frightening. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

It was pretty difficult to concentrate on the customers, even harder to chat up the visitors who came by to say hi. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z

“The choice of his reward has been the most difficult of all.” The Book of Three 1964-03-12T00:00:00Z

Because the terrain was so difficult, with hills and mountains, jungle and swamp, it would be hard for the Japanese to get reinforcements quickly. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

That difficult task accomplished, he glanced round him whilst waiting for the next course. Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

The class was gone, we were alone, and somehow I felt an intimacy between us that made it not too difficult for me to say what I then said. The Chosen 1967-04-28T00:00:00Z

And he lives fifty kilometers away, far enough from a city that buying furs might be difficult. The Light in Hidden Places 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

The agents were searching for evidence of disloyalty, or anything else to use against the Ellsbergs—though what they hoped to discover on Patricia’s teeth is difficult to say. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War 2015-09-22T00:00:00Z

He sidled up to her, so close that it was sometimes difficult to see what she was doing. Interpreter of Maladies 1999-05-22T00:00:00Z

This business of friendship was a curious thing, I thought, almost as difficult to learn as the business of acting. The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to describe it without lapsing into poor taste; indeed, the truck and trailer alone were a monument to the word “god-awful.” This Side of Wild 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

Ai taught me a Terran game played on squares with little stones, called go, an excellent difficult game. The Left Hand of Darkness 1969-03-01T00:00:00Z

This seemed so obvious to me now, it was difficult to understand why I had ever believed anything else. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

He discovered that being rich was terribly annoying because it was so easy to make money and so difficult to find an incentive for spending it. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for me to explain, and I could see that it pained him to hear it. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

Jessica and I sat around with some books, but even she found it difficult to focus enough to read. Because of Mr. Terupt 2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

For some reason it hadn’t dawned on me earlier that I was cooking a very difficult meal for a group of very picky food experts. The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z

Harry noticed that the contents proved difficult to empty into the Pensieve, as though they had congealed slightly; did memories go bad? Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Wasn’t the purpose of a college degree to get away from the need to work dirty and difficult jobs? Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z

They made it clear I would have a difficult couple of days. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

And eventually he nodded slightly and said, “You want to take responsibility for what you have done, and you find it difficult to do that, to feel fully accountable if you cannot remember it?” The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

So, to prove his courage, he took the most difficult option. Tiger, Tiger 2004-10-04T00:00:00Z

“Let’s not pretend that means nothing. Can you imagine how difficult it’s going to be to explain to Merlin how we let a trainee destroy a priceless artifact of unending power?” Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to discern the effect of such things, you know. Your perspective is from the inside, after all. The smallest charms can be the most effective.” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

He often found it difficult to live up to the demands of his chosen faction, just as I did. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

The total ban on life-without-parole sentences for children convicted of non-homicides should have been the easiest decision to implement, but enforcing the Supreme Court's ruling was proving much more difficult than I had hoped. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Math and languages I found more difficult, so I had to work harder at them. My Life with the Chimpanzees 1988-03-01T00:00:00Z

With Fermi’s chain-reacting pile still undergoing its difficult gestation, for all they knew this was the only plutonium that would be seen for months, or even years. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

The bear regarded the little boy, and it was difficult to tell who was more startled. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

They decided to attempt the climb, but it proved very difficult. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

“But it will be difficult for me to walk.” The Wild Robot 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

To this was added even his own army, for while besieging Aquileia and finding the capture difficult, disgusted by his cruelty and fearing him less, seeing that Maximinus had many enemies, the soldiers murdered him. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

I’ve almost forgotten that things can go wrong and be difficult. I Am the Messenger 2002-01-10T00:00:00Z

Even a party of six or seven high-level avatars would have had a difficult time defeating him. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

With Father and Margot that’s not difficult, but it is with Mother, which is why I’m glad she gives me an occasional rap on the knuckles. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

It was more difficult to make out the words. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ernest would find it very difficult to deal with an Oppenheimer who had acquired a supreme self-confidence in the crucible of war. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

Burning the flab off was going to be difficult. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult but not impossible for Mr. Solomon to pull him away. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was aware of how difficult it must have been to get to Pretoria in the middle of the day in the middle of the week with two small children at home. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Before, she was difficult to talk to, always snapping at me, but now she’s easier to be with. Without Refuge 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z

“If Melody Brooks can win the first round, then my questions must not be difficult enough! We’re all going to rally to win the competition!” Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z

The words come slow and difficult, like the secret wants to stay in my mouth. The Light in Hidden Places 2020-03-03T00:00:00Z

The road widened ahead, but the murky twilight made it difficult to see. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

This was a little difficult because the inquisitive bird kept reaching over and trying to bite the faucets with its sharp red beak. Mr. Popper's Penguins 1938-09-01T00:00:00Z

And then, I said the difficult thing, For he, too, is one of your children. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Poor lamb, you don't have much fun, do you? I’m afraid I’m very difficult to live with.” Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

She watched her uncle maneuver salad greens, olive oil, vinegar, and several ingredients unknown to her with the same precision and assurances he employed on a difficult osteotomy. Go Set a Watchman: A Novel 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z

A person would have a difficult time standing up on Jupiter, much less jumping around. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

The chief danger is that a policeman will notice your suspicious activities and arrest you—in which case it is quite difficult convincing your own authorities that you’re not working for the enemy. Code Name Verity 2012-05-15T00:00:00Z

Instead, those trees must be grown by the difficult technique of grafting, developed in China long after the beginnings of agriculture. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

She had much still to learn, and she knew a place where she could learn it, cold and difficult and unwelcoming as that place might be. The Midwife's Apprentice 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

But she had worried that it would be difficult to build a school. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to hear what they were saying because their voices sounded like bees, as if something was obstructing their noses. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

“If it gets too difficult, I’ll come back and we’ll think of something else. Stay close to the wall. Tuck it in close to the chimney stack. I’ll be as quick as I can.” The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but millions of miles are sometimes difficult to bridge. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z

And, as difficult as it was to keep my new vow, I didn’t mention my suspicion concerning the whereabouts of my phone. Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

My voice felt thick and speaking was difficult. Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky 2019-10-15T00:00:00Z

The way the show worked was that contestants would choose a category, such as movies, opera, baseball, etc., and answer questions that would become exponentially more difficult and ultimately more valuable. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

That question was not difficult to answer, given the political and social context. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

“We hitched. Shouldn’t be too difficult to get back,” I said, making things easy for her. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to imagine a rabbit plodding steadily on: they are not built for it. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

He used to arrive late to their accounting class with singular excuses—a cow’s lack of appetite, the difficult birth of two foals. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

It made it not only difficult to forget him but quite impossible. The Chosen 1967-04-28T00:00:00Z

In her professional life, she was so good at lying low that it is difficult to discover exactly what she was up to during this period. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

Not only is it extremely difficult to create a naked singularity that a wormhole needs, but it also appears that even a naked singularity will tear space travelers to shreds. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

She shivered, and found herself at the same time unable to account for the excitement she felt, which made it difficult to remember why it was so odd to wake up happy in Hill House. The Haunting of Hill House 1959-10-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult and dangerous, but it was feasible. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It will be more difficult for my mother to break it if it’s in stone.” I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

—Now it’s perfectly understandable that Andrew is having a difficult time adjusting to Robert’s death. Tears of a Tiger 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to look at pictures of black people performing in minstrel shows during the Jim Crow era. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

An absence so decorative, so ornate, it was difficult for her to understand how she had ever endured, without falling dead or being consumed, his magnificent presence. Sula 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

His next task, to get to the treasure left by a gold miner in a more intricate and difficult maze, at first defeated him when he tried to solve it prematurely, without sufficient study. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to say. The most recent previous challenge lasted thirty-seven years.” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

It became difficult to follow the path, and they were very tired. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

It is normally very difficult to see this effect, because the light from the sun makes it impossible to observe stars that appear near to the sun in the sky. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

He seems to change personalities the way he changes styles, and that makes it difficult to figure out who he is. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

I began to work it out and it wasn’t difficult to do this because I had the Bristol Channel to help me. Boy: Tales of a Childhood 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult decision to make, but the chance to be an astronaut was not an opportunity that came every day. Women in Space 2014-02-01T00:00:00Z

To be a hero requires difficult choices and sacrifice. Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

“She told me it was a difficult time. For both of you.” Hurricane Child 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

He lived alone in a place that was difficult even for a grown man, but he took me in first before deciding what else to do with me. Beyond the Bright Sea 2017-05-02T00:00:00Z

Why is the fact that each of us comes from a culture with its own distinctive mix of strengths and weaknesses, tendencies and predispositions, so difficult to acknowledge? Outliers 2008-11-18T00:00:00Z

Lowell’s observations were made under extremely difficult seeing conditions. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn’t much room. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

The paper wasn't lined, which made it more difficult, but Zero's A wasn't bad, just a little big. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they thought Arithmancy sounded more difficult than Study of Ancient Runes. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

While it was a very difficult experience for me to be at odds with my family for all those months, I’m glad I went off on my own to figure things out for myself. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

No difficult comers, just a big square with a large elm tree in the center. Lawn Boy 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z

Even the smaller challenges—breaking a bad habit or sticking to a diet—often prove too difficult, even for those of us who are relatively privileged and comfortable in our daily lives. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

It was like watching a movie with a voice-over narration, but with one great difference: He was manipulating the pieces and speaking so rapidly that it was difficult to connect the moves with his commentary. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

“It is sometimes difficult to gather one’s senses after such a journey. Did she tell you that we have something in common?” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

He was grateful to let her handle things that had become difficult for his old body. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The engine was so loud and so close that it was difficult to hear each other anyway. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

It’s a simple notion, almost rudimentary, but accomplishing this in an actual game can be quite difficult. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

I have never understood why men with regular, difficult jobs can sometimes feel an unexplainable dedication to a company, but my atoms have not been together for so many miles. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z

A substantial human presence on Jupiter itself is much more difficult to imagine—although I suppose great balloon cities permanently floating in its atmosphere are a technological possibility for the remote future. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Books were stacked on every available surface; the tables were cluttered with papers, ashtrays, bottles of whiskey, boxes of chocolates; umbrellas and galoshes made passage difficult in the narrow hall. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

Despite her tireless work finding homes for abandoned babies, Xan had a deep loathing for difficult things. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

The jumper had landed funny, his body twisted around, and Kevin was finding it difficult to pull his shoes off. The Dead and the Gone 2008-05-04T00:00:00Z

You know you have the votes before you go to the floor, but it’s still difficult because anything could happen. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

I know it will be very difficult for you. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

Merlyn began to talk quickly, because he saw that it was a difficult situation. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

If intelligence developed naturally on earth, it is difficult to see why the same process wouldn’t have occurred elsewhere. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Like crowns, quartz crystals jutted out of the sides and the ceilings and even the ground, which made it difficult to walk on the path. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

Then up, up, very steeply, for more than an hour—not really difficult for us, since rats are better climbers than men; also, we are shorter, so we had little trouble with the spiney underbrush. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 1970-06-01T00:00:00Z

“Of course I shall be ready, Mother,” Ana said, tossing her head as if the task was no more difficult than selecting which dress to wear on the appointed evening. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

This was a difficult and delicate job but they managed it in the end. The Magician's Nephew 1955-05-02T00:00:00Z

“Well, I certainly think so. But the audition, you know...it’s a formality. I’m afraid it would be very difficult. Are you sure you don’t just want to kill me?” The Mark of Athena 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

‘The practise of transcription in our dayes was no monster in theirs: Plagiarie had not its nativitie with printing,’ he concluded, ‘but began in times when thefts were difficult’ because books were in short supply. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Following the bus was a nightmare; it stopped too often, too long, and it was difficult to tail it, hide, and watch to see if she got off. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I didn’t know becoming Dauntless would be this difficult,” I say, and a second later, I am surprised that I said it; surprised that I admitted to it. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

My mother had a very difficult time in those early years of marriage; she was a teenage girl, ostracized by the adults around her. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

Getting there was difficult and dangerous, but the room itself was sanctuary. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

Once she got going, the climb was less difficult than it appeared. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z

Because there are a myriad of such variations, it’s difficult for most players to internalize even a small portion. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

She’d picked up the cue with high hopes that the game wouldn’t be too difficult to learn. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

Not remembering can be difficult, but I’ve had a lot of time to work on it. The One and Only Ivan 2012-01-17T00:00:00Z

The ice cream was difficult to enjoy, as it melted too quickly under the hot sun. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

It's going to be difficult to send my updates—someone might notice that I'm connecting to a distant server instead of an intra-city server, so my entries will probably come less often, if at all. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Half the tobacco promptly fell out onto his tongue, a bitter dust which was difficult to spit out again. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

And this was particularly difficult because England’s navy was the best in the world. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z

To put it somewhat differently, if she had been opposed, it is difficult to imagine Adams taking the action he did. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

As a child, Roosevelt suffered from acute asthma, a respiratory disease that caused his airways to constrict, making it difficult for him to breathe. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

‘Your ... your scent would be difficult to discern. The ruins always radiate the power of those two gods.’ Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

She was still stroking Bloomberg, still succoring him, forcibly, into the subtle and difficult world outside warm afghans. Franny and Zooey 1961-09-14T00:00:00Z

The only problem is, it's difficult to be a nobody when everyone in school knows you and your mother, when your artwork is going to be on the entrance of the building. A Place at the Table 2020-08-11T00:00:00Z

His gait was stiff, his legs difficult to lift. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

In the flickering light it was difficult to make out the old statue propped against the wall, but she still recognized its likeness: Badwa, goddess of the jungle. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

The other co-defendant would not say anything about what had really happened, making it extremely difficult for us to challenge Joe's conviction. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

The Klan trafficked in secret information whose secrecy engendered fear, while insurance prices were less a secret than a set of facts dispensed in a way that made comparisons difficult. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything 2005-04-12T00:00:00Z

I met with our staff, and we made the difficult decision to represent all of the people who were scheduled for execution and didn't have counsel. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

At the wedding, he said he was not optimistic about the future, and that such a marriage, in such difficult times, would be unremittingly tested. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

The truth is, I never felt bad for Rachel, even before I found out about her drinking and how difficult she was, how she was making his life a miscry. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Despite having a difficult time with the death of his mother, Justin managed to finish high school strong and received a scholarship to college. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates 2010-04-27T00:00:00Z

In time, judging from his uncombed and disheveled physical appearance, it was difficult to differentiate Bobby from the down-and-outers of the area. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Daddy had often said that when presented with two choices, a hard thing and an easy thing, the right thing was usually the more difficult one. Ophie's Ghosts 2021-05-18T00:00:00Z

“Possibly more loyalty. It makes things a little difficult.” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is, moreover, very difficult to explain in any other way why there should be so much helium in the universe. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Even so, it was still difficult to agree on a common approach to problems. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

We lost the van twice, but I had a pretty good sense that they would go into Manhattan first, so it wasn’t too difficult to pick up their trail again. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

As soon as it became dark, he had the difficult job of flying next to the Agena, keeping it in the center of the pool of light. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

“The task you four are attempting is very difficult,” said Mrs. Gause. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics 2016-01-05T00:00:00Z

But I found it difficult to concentrate at home. The Joy Luck Club 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

“So, do you find the writing difficult or do you just not like it?” Fish in a Tree 2015-02-05T00:00:00Z

“I know it’s been difficult,” she said, pouring him a cup of lemonade with the concentration of a scientist measuring hydrochloric acid. Bone Gap 2015-03-03T00:00:00Z

“The late 1800s and early 1900s were a difficult time for the people,” Jack explained to me. The Sea in Winter 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

Spassky seemed to have no animosity for the man who’d defeated him, although he knew he was going to face difficult times when he returned home to Moscow. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

On the other hand, once again I bore screecher perfume, which would make it difficult for me to pass unnoticed. Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

In the city, as difficult as it was to get around, we managed. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

“Biddy,” I returned with some resentment, “you are so exceedingly quick that it’s difficult to keep up with you.” Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

While I was careful to clean up his droppings, it was difficult to capture the seed casings that he scattered across the floor. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

In the months after the Times story about the Fugees, Luma was frequently approached by teachers, parents, coaches, and volunteers who wanted her advice on how to handle various situations involving difficult children. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference 2009-04-21T00:00:00Z

“You . . Her fingers flutter at her neck, then drop. “Is it difficult to keep clean?” Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

Our ability to succeed at what we do is powerfully bound up with where we’re from, and being a good pilot and coming from a high-power distance culture is a difficult mix. Outliers 2008-11-18T00:00:00Z

It was not in the least difficult to believe that this ghastly brute ate men, women and children every night. The BFG 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was the largest and most difficult one to maneuver. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

He assumed the panther would be an old, wasted male with worn teeth, incapable of catching anything more difficult than a human. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

“I suppose,” he drawled, turning those brilliant blue eyes on Celaena, “that it will be difficult for Lady Lillian and I as well. Perhaps more so.” Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

Since we all wore uniforms—plaid jumpers for the girls and navy blue slacks and white shirts for the boys—it was difficult to know who was rich and who was poor. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to believe in his innocence.” Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

Like a note that crosses bar lines, the two-and-a-half-beat 11note11 in the fourth bar would be difficult to write without using a tie. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

Volpe has a difficult time himself making his way out of the theater and backstage to the kids. Drama High 2013-09-26T00:00:00Z

“Why do you all have to be so difficult? I’m trying to help you.” Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

Even though our journey was difficult, every once in a while we were able to do something that was normal and made us happy for a brief moment. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

And this is also how I know how to act in difficult situations when I don’t know what to do. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

They were wretched, flimsy things, but cooking pots of any kind were always difficult to get. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

Both had had difficult adolescent lives, in complex families under unstable circumstances. Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Girl, I got you out of bed. Now I want to get you out of the building and into the street. Why do you make things so difficult?” Lucky Broken Girl 2017-04-11T00:00:00Z

She’d suspected that it would be hard to find Pong in Chattana, but it wasn't until she got to the city that she realized how difficult her challenge was. A Wish in the Dark 2020-03-24T00:00:00Z

Someone would have to keep his wits, and he had assumed automatically that since Fezzik had so few, he would find retaining them not all that difficult. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilised by education: they grow there, firm as weeds among stones. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

Something was happening between us, something very real, and it was getting more difficult to ignore. From Twinkle, with Love 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

Farming is difficult in the high, cold, steep-walled valleys, so the traditional Sherpa economy revolved around trading between Tibet and India, and herding yaks. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

He hadn’t considered that it might be difficult getting into the secret entrances once you’d found them. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

I try to relax against the wall, but it’s difficult without my vision to orient me. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

They began to connect my behavior with the difficult progress my older sister and brother were making. Hunger of Memory 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I would never forget,” she said, her voice strained, for she found it difficult to speak when he was so close to her. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

That would make the tower very difficult to assault; attackers would need to wade through the water or bridge the little channel. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z

They said that I had manipulated the order of the three glasses to make it more difficult for them. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

“The Hunters will be difficult to dispose of” Luke said. The Titan's Curse 2007-05-11T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for me to say this aloud. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

He found himself struggling to concentrate on Mr. Ryan’s quiz, though it really wasn’t that difficult. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

The handcuffs, pistol, and continued beating were unfortunate but, hey, when you all shared the same difficult circumstance— prison work—you tended to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Boobie might have been able to run like that, but it was difficult to get him to try it. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

After a long day on a difficult gallery, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to go through that again. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

But it could also be the worst time of the day, because in a way, I’d been dealing with difficult children all day long. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

They had decided earlier that they would bide their time until dusk, when it would be more difficult for guards to track their footsteps in the snow. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

There was a curious play of light and shadow in their faces that made it difficult to understand their expressions. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

“It’s been very difficult for her, Jenna,” he finally says, his voice soft and uneven. The Adoration of Jenna Fox 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z

It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when he thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome he could expect next time he turned up on Privet Drive. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

“I’ve got the necessary here in my bag, it’s not a difficult antidote...” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

Nevertheless, we often find it difficult to maintain the distinction between fine and applied art. History of Art, Volume 1 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

The witch doctor told the chief that this was not a difficult thing to do. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

Sometimes we talked and were good friends but to-night it was difficult. A Farewell To Arms 1929-09-02T00:00:00Z

During the Middle Ages, life in Europe was very difficult for Jews. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village 2007-07-24T00:00:00Z

Grand Elder Gherland ordered a meeting with Sister Ignatia just before lunch, despite her protestations that today simply was too difficult. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

It was not difficult to do, as Leopard’s children were weak and sickly. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

“I hacked into Interpol. Not too difficult, I can tell you. They might as well have put out a welcome mat....” Artemis Fowl 2001-04-26T00:00:00Z

Jason didn’t like the mention of difficult trials. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

As often happens in war, nations make difficult choices, and often there are disagreements on a course of action. An Indigenous People’s History of the United States 2019-07-01T00:00:00Z

She also had to make what she called “a difficult, even painful decision” before returning home. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights 2004-05-25T00:00:00Z

Hitchhiking tends to be difficult on the Alaska Highway. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Jefferson then apologized in return, claiming that he received over twelve hundred letters a year, all of which required responses, so it was difficult for him to match the Adams pace. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

Before Owen, museums were designed primarily for the use and edification of the elite, and even then it was difficult to gain access. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

At the Player’s Club, sips of cognac and exhalations of smoke had filled that last difficult pause. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

I know that when it comes time to eat the porridge I will have trouble: my stomach will contract, my hands will get cold, it will be difficult to swallow. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

It was impossible to stay in one place, and making himself heard was difficult. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

“Hold on to that for as long as you can,” he said, as if doing so would be a very difficult thing. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

However difficult my life would be in Delhi, I would not be surrounded by thousands of widows to remind me that my life, like theirs, was over. Homeless Bird 2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

Hylla rose with a murderous look on her face, but Reyna reached out with her senses, trying to share with her sister the most difficult kind of strength - restraint. Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

The ground underfoot was dry and crumbly, and although they tried to hurry, it was difficult because the furrows rose up to trip them. Homecoming 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was very easy for the pure, fine material to come together, but extremely difficult for the heavy, turbid material to solidify. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first it was difficult to tell just what had changed—it all looked the same and it all smelled the same—but, for some reason, nothing sounded the same. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

Hazel’s praise was still ringing in Frank’s ears, making it difficult to think. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

I tense immediately, afraid that he’s going to name some crime of mine that went unacknowledged, or a confession that’s eating away at him, or something equally difficult. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

“He makes us do a great many difficult chores.” The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

As Ash grew more comfortable on horseback, Kaisa took her on more difficult trails through the Wood, and Jewel began to allow Ash to lead her instead of simply following the huntress's horse. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Of all the things I had to get used to at my new school, the most difficult, therefore, was the locker room. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

Because of certain genetic and hormonal conditions, it was sometimes very difficult to determine the sex of a newborn baby. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

I got in my car with the sinking realization that if everyone who tried to help us on this case was going to be threatened, it would be very difficult to prove Walter's innocence. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Cara says, “Ignore them. They don’t know what it is to make a difficult decision.” Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

It would be difficult because the only things I had were my clothes and my shoes, which had no laces in them. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

By then, our life with Shanon had started to become difficult. Courage to Soar 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

Of course, the mere existence of a diversity of results made it difficult to persuade everyone that Brahe’s arguments were conclusive. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“Your aristoi” he lectured to Jefferson, “are the most difficult Animals to manage, of anything in the Whole Theory and practice of Government.” Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

As of this writing, petersax-online2 had many exercises graded from simple to more difficult to help the beginner practice playing what you hear. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

It was difficult not to think about what he had left behind. The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Nevertheless, reaching a unanimous decision about going to war was proving difficult. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

“Yes, it’s difficult to ascertain whether he is trying to arouse her or perform a breast exam.” The Fault in Our Stars 2012-01-10T00:00:00Z

“Why am I suddenly finding it difficult to swallow my food?” The Great Santini 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Beside her the huntress was relaxed and calm, encouraging her without treating her like a child, and Ash found that it wasn’t so difficult to talk to her, after all. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to believe that Henry’s modest plan could have worked so well despite these unforeseen events. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

Had they been alone, she might have attempted it, though the chains would make it difficult; but with an entourage of royal guards trained to kill without hesitation... Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

It is difficult for us to fathom fully the threat that Burr represented to Hamilton because we know that the American experiment with republican government was destined to succeed. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

It turns out that passing between Faerie and the mortal world isn’t all that difficult. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to get over the fence. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

“Will it involve dancing? I might find dancing difficult. I cannot feel my legs. They may have fallen off. Elsewise, I am your creature. On my honor as a Lannister.” A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

It was a simple, moody piece that sounded more difficult than it was. The Joy Luck Club 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

Familiar flutterings of panic were starting to disturb Harry now, and he was finding it difficult to concentrate in class again. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

Malcolm had never found it so difficult to move; every muscle quivered. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

The wood is expensive and it’s difficult to work with. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Others are studying the health impact of job insecurity, lack of support on the job, and employment that makes it difficult to balance work and family obligations. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to keep them from looking like clumps of sausages. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

As an aside, story of sole survivor, Mr. Piscine Molitor Patel, In­dian citizen, is an astounding story of courage and endurance in the face of extraordinarily difficult and tragic circumstances. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

“It will make the challenge a great deal more difficult for you.” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

Future searches will be difficult: thousands of years ago, the melting glaciers raised the seas, inundating coastal settlements, if they existed. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

That night, he lay in his room in the Boys’ Quarters and tried to concentrate on The Mayor of Casterbridge, but it was difficult. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

But any food production that did arise indigenously in Australia would have been limited by the lack of domesticable animals, the poverty of domesticable plants, and the difficult soils and climate. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

Among the inmates, the lower floor is known as The Hole—the place to which difficult prisoners, the “hardrock” troublemakers, are now and then banished. In Cold Blood 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Picturing Grandmother as good or beautiful was more difficult. The Son of Neptune 2011-10-04T00:00:00Z

My parents were having a difficult time parenting in America because they didn’t know the language or the culture. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

“It is not so difficult, but if they do not like what I do, they can kill me. If they like it, they might reward me. And you, Jack, you survived your first day?” Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps 2001-03-01T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to match this evidence with Carol’s father, nice Mr. Campbell, who has a soft mustache and calls Grace Beautiful Brown Eyes and Cordelia Miss Lobelia. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

People stopped trying to raise hogs because it was too difficult to get slop rich enough to feed them, and no one had the money to buy mash or fish meal. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

If it is not soon it will be too light; it will be difficult enough now. All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel 1929-01-01T00:00:00Z

But he had never attempted anything as difficult as this. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

Confused and increasingly frightened, Shin found it difficult to speak. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

I found it difficult to swallow the idea that I would sacrifice what I regarded as my obligation to the students for my own selfish interests. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dewey, for example, found it difficult to understand “how two individuals could reach the same degree of rage, the kind of psychopathic rage it took to commit such a crime.” In Cold Blood 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t difficult to convince Mother that I was ill, what with my listlessness and lingering hives. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

Peacock snails came up frequently in my notes, year after year, but they were difficult to find these days. Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

“It becomes difficult to tell the difference between old friends and business associates in cases like ours, I think,” Tara says. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

And that initial loss, which Burnham still found difficult to comprehend. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

Luckily, I had been warned by my bunkmates that Mains was difficult to navigate, so despite getting lost, I still arrived with time to spare. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

It is almost impossible to tighten the orbicularis oculi, pars orbitalis on demand, and it is equally difficult to stop it from tightening when we smile at something genuinely pleasurable. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

The two calendars drifted with respect to each other, making it very difficult to predict when a holiday was due. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

Eric and I still talked from time to time, but things were difficult between us. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

I really wanted out of Little Rock, but Mother said we were there among family and friends, with jobs, and it would be too difficult to move us as a family. March Forward, Girl 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

I hurried out into the hot, dusty, end-of-July afternoon, sweating and sandymouthed, as if late for a difficult interview, and boarded the red bus, whose motor was already running. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

What I need to do is let them know that I understand how difficult all of this is and introduce them to different options. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells — but it wasn’t. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

Her initial impression of Toscanini had been more difficult to overcome, however. In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson 1984-10-12T00:00:00Z

Cultural influence is difficult to pin down in documents and concrete actions. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

“How can he say he does not know what he is? Since when is he conflicted? And even that his name is difficult?” Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

It’s very difficult to get goats like that, so people look for months to find them. Facing the Lion 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

“They are having a difficult year,” Mama whispered to us. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

The plane was so clumsy that it was difficult to fly in the tight formations that were critical to fending off attack. Unbroken 2010-11-16T00:00:00Z

My mom was having a difficult time talking about Deborah as if she were a statistic. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

It was difficult, because of my past, to trust him. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z

Lawrence had spent a difficult year cadging money from philanthropists and foundations for a proton accelerator, the purpose of which had to be explained to them in the abstract terms of basic science. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

He was beginning to understand how difficult it must have been for the soldiers. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse 2015-11-10T00:00:00Z

His long robe concealed his small feet, making it difficult for Zoe to follow. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

The U.N. had made it easy to emigrate, difficult if not impossible to stay. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 1968-01-02T00:00:00Z

It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Plus he wore an eye patch, which I’m assuming would have made playing tennis difficult. But his younger brother, Glenn, was a member of the team.” The Parker Inheritance 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

It ticked in a satisfied and self-important way, as if it had managed to solve some difficult problem. Raymie Nightingale 2016-04-12T00:00:00Z

In the attic she had struggled with the words, pressed on, doubled back to difficult verses. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

Reader, in the spirit of honesty, I must utter a difficult and unsavory truth: Rats are not beautiful creatures. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread 2003-08-25T00:00:00Z

Quentin and I did most of the talking, boisterously proclaiming how difficult the calculations were and describing how our rockets flew. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

"Mr. Campbell's getting difficult. What are these outbursts of affection, Michael?" The Sun Also Rises 1926-10-22T00:00:00Z

Discovering two new sisters had been really helpful when it came to avoiding difficult subjects. Far from the Tree 2017-10-03T00:00:00Z

The second one would be more challenging, I realized, but not too difficult. Beyond the Bright Sea 2017-05-02T00:00:00Z

He seems to find it difficult to keep himself from pinching her or pinching himself for having had the good fortune to find and marry her. The View From Saturday 1996-09-01T00:00:00Z

On the other hand, their lessons were becoming more difficult and demanding than ever before, particularly Moody’s Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

“His head is what you call in plane with the horizon. It is a difficult thing that we go to do, and we do not want no peoples to watch us if so it may.” Dracula 1897-05-26T00:00:00Z

Louis warned me that it would be a long and difficult task. My Life with the Chimpanzees 1988-03-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to imagine a man like Dad—proud, strong, physical—permanently impaired. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

Persuading the fighters to surrender their weapons was a difficult task, but at last it was done and we could begin to right things. Black Boy 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z

"It is the responsibility of your adversary to see that he strikes this, and not your gut. Of course, in Nick's case, it may be difficult to avoid." The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

This was more than five times faster than the Buick could do on Little Daytona, and I found it difficult to imagine one of our rockets could really go that fast. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to deceive him, and dangerous to try. The Return of the King 1955-10-20T00:00:00Z

On the third day, I found myself in the middle of a thick forest, standing beneath huge trees whose leaves and branches made it difficult to see the sky. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

It is insanely difficult to keep a good swing as you raise your rate. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

It was proving difficult to shift, because the latest interested buyer hadn’t been granted a mortgage. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ms. Gruwell and the Freedom Writers want to help me get through my difficult time, but I keep pushing them away. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

When the conversation turned to the preparations for Hafsa’s sister’s wedding, everyone started talking at once, and I found it difficult to focus. Amal Unbound 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z

In the constant sunshine between earth and moon, it was difficult to decide whether it was “morning” or “noon” or “evening.” Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

The rest of that day had been more difficult to remember. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

Next is math, fractions, which is a little more difficult. The Queen of Water 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

We stand on the riverbank for a second and she’s putting her water bottle back into her bag and she’s quiet in a way that I’m learning means she’s trying to say something difficult. The Knife of Never Letting Go 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z

Immured in these tangles, at perhaps their most difficult moment, Ralph turned with shining eyes to the others. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

“Our kingdom is suffering through a difficult time, and my father could not be spared.” Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

“Believe me,” Poppy said, “it looks better from a distance. Camps are difficult places.” Habibi 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

Sisterhood is a difficult concept for me, I tell myself, because I never had a sister. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

It might have been the blatant wizardishness of his appearance, but it might, too, have been that even Uncle Vernon could sense that here was a man whom it would be very difficult to bully. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

As for the course, that wasn’t difficult, either: the lightning that flickered around the Mountain served as a brilliant beacon. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

That day, I felt myself to be the embodiment of African nationalism, the inheritor of Africa’s difficult but noble past and her uncertain future. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

This year she could plant her garden at the right time, although rising lake water might make it difficult to reach the little island. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Koreans stood there, uneasy, trying to explain difficult notions in a broken English. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Instead he had done a friend’s duty, helping me pass a difficult time, and I had repaid him with lies. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

Harry had learned from Uncle Vernon that people liked to be left alone while they did this, but it was very difficult, he’d never had so many questions in his life. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

This is a big one for us, and I know it’s our first home game since ... since we lost Robbie, so it’s going to be difficult for all of us—especially Andy. Tears of a Tiger 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is only beginning to weigh on her, but it is much more difficult to manage without the bonfire. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

“Was it difficult to bend yourself to the will of Lord Valdemar when you were first married?” Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z

He had anchored with Owen, once in a crowded small bay with other boats, where it was difficult because they had to put out two anchors to keep from swinging around and hitting other boats. The Voyage Of The Frog 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

It did not occur to him that this was the first manifestation of a loss of memory, because the object had a difficult name to remember. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

Everything was difficult, irksome and finally hopeless when I was a Samana. Siddhartha 1922-01-01T00:00:00Z

Citra was at the dining room table, slaving over a particularly difficult algebra problem, shuffling variables, unable to solve for X or Y, when this new and far more pernicious variable entered her life’s equation. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

Irina Rakobolskaya, the 46th’s chief of staff, could tell how difficult the night’s flying might be just by the way a nervous pilot smoked a cigarette between missions. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

His father had always been optimistic, even during the most difficult times. Shooting Kabul 2010-06-22T00:00:00Z

Her husband had gone to Germany with an infantry division, and now she was struggling through the second day of a difficult labor. Farewell to Manzanar 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

He ended up in a veterans hospital in New York City, where he had a slow, difficult recovery from severe head pain associated with his war injuries. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Yet somehow he found it difficult to appreciate the humor of it all from sow- back. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

Eventually, we began to get used to the darkness, but it was still difficult to tell a lion from a cow. Facing the Lion 2003-01-01T00:00:00Z

Tam Lin’s stories were about the difficult decisions you made to become a man. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

It had been too difficult to do anything else. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

This trek was difficult enough for someone with sight. Salt to the Sea 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

It had been difficult to know where he might have fallen, given the darkness and the confusion of the battle. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

It is most difficult always to remember that the increase of every living being is constantly being checked by unperceived injurious agencies.... The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

“You did not, you’re just trying to make this difficult” I teased, trying to capture his bright blue eyes. Between Shades of Gray 2011-03-22T00:00:00Z

Alice had pulled Sister Fenella back into her armchair, but the old nun hadn’t woken, and her breathing was loud and difficult. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

There seemed to be merit to both positions, and it was difficult to decide between them. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Stupidity was as necessary as intelligence, and as difficult to attain. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

They are stubborn creatures, difficult to open, and if they are the slightest bit overcooked, they are too tough to eat. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

The former was obviously preferable because, given her belligerent moods, it would be very difficult for Maurice to maintain a dominant position that would allow him to think unhindered about DNA. Double Helix 1968-02-27T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to hear what she said, because she was lying on her stomach and her face was in the pillow. Brave New World 1932-01-01T00:00:00Z

Lima was more difficult to track down, but he had not gone far. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

Sticky, as if someone had pulled a string in his back, promptly answered, “To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive, or to otherwise render indistinct.” The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

The past seemed like so much noise when you were trying to deal with the difficult present. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

But then making things difficult for hikers is something of a tradition in the eastern parks. A Walk in the Woods 1997-11-01T00:00:00Z

Though this proved more difficult to fit together than the more open B structure, a satisfactory A model awaited me upon my return. Double Helix 1968-02-27T00:00:00Z

For the lawyers, meanwhile, this was a difficult case to prepare for. Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War 2015-09-22T00:00:00Z

Really, it was difficult to know what such powerful spirits lacked. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult, blinded like this; her skin was hot inside the mask. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

He found it difficult to choose the right words. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

This process, though difficult to recognize at any given moment, is easier to see in retrospect. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

She had purposely made it difficult and she knew that there were precious few five-year-olds around who would be able to manage it. Matilda 1988-10-01T00:00:00Z

And though I did just drop it and carry on with the discussion we’d been having, the atmosphere had gone chilly, and could hardly have helped us get through the difficult matter in hand. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a nine-and-a-half-hour marathon in which Fischer, even though a pawn ahead, had a difficult position right up to adjournment. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

What the wizard guessed was always difficult to tell. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to understand the feeling the mhondoro had about her. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

How difficult it was to frame any answer! Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

I have known my share of peculiar, difficult, nervous, grabby people, but I’ve never encountered any genuinely, consistently detestable human beings in all my life. The Lives of a Cell 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Because the State had made Walter's affair with Karen Kelly part of its case in court, the trial had been especially difficult for Minnie. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Moreover, he need not worry about incurring the infamy of those vices without which it would be difficult to save the state. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

“A thing doesn’t have to be difficult if you give it some thought and apply a little elementary physics.” The Young Man and the Sea 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

However difficult the situation in Hungary, however, it was a tea party compared to the nightmare that unfolded in Russia in the 1930s. The Story of Music 2012-12-25T00:00:00Z

My hands have been still so long that it is difficult to remember how it is. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 1940-07-29T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to imagine an entire convent of women as lovely as Chasca, but her words were right and true. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult position, and I had just been analyzing it for about half an hour. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for him to beg, but he came as close to it as he could. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

I hadn't thought about how difficult this moment would be. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

It had been difficult to go to sleep in the bright summer moonlight, but once be was there it was not difficult to stay. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

Total, unequivocal sterilization is extremely difficult to achieve in practice and is almost impossible to verify afterward. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Who knew that a simple five-hundred- word report on a book of my choice was going to be so difficult? The Red Umbrella 2010-04-25T00:00:00Z

When you hear that, you begin to wonder why we’re fighting this long and difficult war. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

Nevertheless it had been very difficult not to betray a momentary surprise, for in the two or three seconds while he was helping her up the girl had slipped something into his hand. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

“I’m sure you have heard this is a difficult time,” Mr. Sorenson continues. Orphan Train 2013-04-02T00:00:00Z

It is not all that difficult to train an intelligent mouse to be an expert tightrope walker provided you know exactly how to go about it. The Witches 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z

It is not difficult to understand the reasons for this. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read.” Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

The press in front of them made further progress difficult. A Clash of Kings 1998-11-16T00:00:00Z

Even if a hospital or government agency can afford the antibiotics, the illness is difficult to manage. Mountains Beyond Mountains 2013-04-13T00:00:00Z

“You’re acting so—oh, I don’t know! You seem angry. Has anyone upset you? I know it’s difficult trying to fit in to a strange village without any children. If I can do anything...” A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

If that happens, things get a lot more difficult. The Cruel Prince 2018-01-02T00:00:00Z

It would be difficult to explain to a dog the good and moral purpose of a thousand humans gathered to curse one tiny human. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

To keep them in control was not difficult. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

The wind was making the work twice as difficult. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

"You've all done so well. It was difficult to assign the parts for our recital. We have two lead roles in the dance—a princess and a prince." You Bring the Distant Near 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

And since my parents left on vacation last week, I’ve been looking after our home all alone, even through these difficult times. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

Almost immediately the light began to fade as the difficult path wandered aimlessly upward, inching forward almost as reluctantly as the trembling Humbug. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

He felt it when it became painfully difficult to throw a ball. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

I will keep this letter brief, as it is difficult to write in my present circumstances. The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge 2018-09-25T00:00:00Z

But just as I am convinced that my wife’s life while I was in prison was more difficult than mine, my own return was also more difficult for her than it was for me. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Struggling to remove an especially difficult cover, I wondered if the same Liberty paint was used on the campus, or if this "Optic White" was something made exclusively for the government. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

The principal decided that Brian and I were both a bit slow and had speech impediments that made it difficult for others to understand us. The Glass Castle 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

“If you are, so am I,” I said stoutly, “for I also find it difficult.” Nectar in a Sieve 1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

It's going to be more difficult to finish the boat now, Mother said. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

It would, he realized, be more difficult; but he judged Melyngar could still carry the unfortunate Gurgi, as long as the companions shared the burden of the weapons. The Book of Three 1964-03-12T00:00:00Z

It was a tradition people had on the island, to bring cooked food to people who had lost a family member as a way to ease their burden during a difficult time. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

In the opening speech the next day, Jim Kim said many people had asked him why a small organization like PIH had taken on such a costly and difficult project in Peru. Mountains Beyond Mountains 2013-04-13T00:00:00Z

Mom and Charlie visited me yesterday, but I think it was difficult for Mom to see me in the hospital. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

“Now,” he panted, “think of the most difficult word you can and I’ll spell it. Hurry up, hurry up!” The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

The young man giggled and danced about in front of Ignatius to avoid the thrusts, his lithe movements making him a difficult target. A Confederacy of Dunces 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

But the mouse tail, covered as it was in oil, was slick and difficult to hold on to and Mig, in reaching for the knife, loosened her grip, and Despereaux fell to the floor. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread 2003-08-25T00:00:00Z

“You have no idea how difficult it is to find actors for as many parts as we need played for this script,” said Mr. Gregory. Okay for Now 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

Already, swallowing is difficult and fatigue is creeping up on me. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

Korean families that have lived in Japan for several generations still find it difficult to acquire Japanese citizenship. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

Eril-Fane considered keeping it from the Tizerkane, too, for fear that it would cause them too much turmoil and prove too difficult to hide. Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to judge the probabilities of a child as young as that, but it seems to me not quite a normal baby...” The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

At moments like this it was difficult to look a man in the eye. The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

I’d never feel as passionately about another candidate as I did about my own husband, which made campaigning for others sometimes difficult for me. Becoming 2018-11-13T00:00:00Z

“Do you mean to tell me you’ve talked with her? Remarkable! The sparrow language, or ‘Sparra’ as it is called, is very difficult to comprehend.” Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

And, compared with our own struggle, they are striving under conditions far more difficult. Native Son 1940-03-01T00:00:00Z

This shouldn't be so difficult to talk about. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

It would be very difficult for me to avenge all those who should be avenged, because my revenge would be just another part of the same inexorable rite. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

He had good vision but that was a far distance, and it was difficult to pick out a figure among the gray rocks, scraggly pines, and greasy green bushes. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

I stare at his face, trying to maintain eye contact, but it’s difficult because he’s zooming away from me, receding to the end of a long black tunnel. Water for Elephants 2006-05-26T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to tell them the truth when a lie would have been so much easier for them to understand. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

These smiles came for a reason that is difficult to explain. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

I discussed how difficult it was for them because there were so many of them on their small group of islands. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Prying W.E. away from the TV and explaining his part to him proved far more difficult. The Great Gilly Hopkins 1978-03-28T00:00:00Z

They move around a lot, and it’s difficult when you’re not doing VR, but on a canvas, to show what motion might be like when nothing can move. Landscape with Invisible Hand 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

The history of the proposed amendment in Congress would be indicative of how difficult it would be to get it passed into law. 1919 The Year That Changed America 2019-01-08T00:00:00Z

Maybe the fan letters were only a prank, but they upset him; each one jarred his day a little when it came, and he found it difficult to recover afterward. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

But at that moment, I knew I was going to stay away from Megan Renshaw, even if I also knew how difficult she could make keeping that commitment. Winger 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

Miss Charlotte Mortimer was the most difficult to choose for, as she had already read so many books. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

We recognize that mobility may be difficult, but the key to our collective self-image is the assumption that mobility is always possible, so failure to move up reflects on one’s character. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

“If either of us had joined this caravan based only on personal courage, but without understanding that language, this journey would have been much more difficult.” The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Curly muttered a reply that was difficult to hear. Hoot 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

The going never gets exceedingly difficult, but the fifteen-foot-high tangle of alder pressing in from both sides is gloomy, claustrophobic, oppressive. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

She was pushing so hard against my windpipe that it was difficult to breathe. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

Living in America, she said, would make this difficult, because here there was tension and unhappiness. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

Despite his twenty years on the police force, Geyer found it difficult to believe that anyone could kill three children for absolutely no reason. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

Some of the most difficult kids lived in a dormitory, which also contained a padded restraining room. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

For Rowan, the decision wasn’t quite so difficult. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to balance on the rocking ship, but I try. Blood on the River 2006-05-04T00:00:00Z

I had the impression it was difficult for him to take my hand, but, noblesse oblige, he did. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

"I had a difficult session with my analyst last evening and the slightest thing is apt to set me off. Like an alarm clock without control—Say!" he said, slapping his palm against his thighs. Invisible Man 1952-01-01T00:00:00Z

Without her, the cooking and shopping will be very difficult, not to mention how much we’ll miss her company. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

She appeared to be somewhere in that range between forty and seventy years, when it becomes difficult to precisely ascertain a black persons precise age. Between the World and Me 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z

Recall that apples were historically among the most difficult fruit trees to cultivate and among the last major ones to be domesticated in Eurasia, because their propagation requires the difficult technique of grafting. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

“As usual, my friends, you overstate my accomplishment. Nevertheless, the essence of what you say is true. Among the authorities these days it is difficult to find a sympathetic listener.” The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

The matter is difficult to put into words. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

Finding it was slightly more difficult than usual, as there were so many other, fresher odors in the woods. Pax 2016-02-02T00:00:00Z

Tendai held Kuda at arm’s length—it wasn’t difficult—and let him swing his fists uselessly until he burst into tears of frustration. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

The cool voice caught slightly on the last word, as if it were difficult to say. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

Sacrificing the monkeys had been a difficult, disgusting, and disheartening task. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

He had a sudden choking feeling, as if it were difficult to breathe. The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

Because I have few inner resources, I often found it very difficult to deal with the boredom brought on by living in Lily. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z

But it turned out not to be so difficult to distinguish myself that night. The Season of Styx Malone 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

What she found most difficult was talking about a personal experience for five minutes. Women in Space 2014-02-01T00:00:00Z

His eyes were unnatural bright, his breathing short and fast and difficult, and what he coughed up was tinged with bright red blood. Cold Sassy Tree 1984-11-02T00:00:00Z

At twilight the earth was darker than the sky, and it was difficult to see if any of Romero’s sheep or goats were grazing along the edge of the pavement. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

It can be difficult but I’m going to help you. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Cleopatra knew that getting past Ptolemy’s army would be difficult, if not impossible. Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen 2009-02-03T00:00:00Z

The trigger-happy FBI had just made their job much more difficult. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

On the penultimate chime, the dancing flames change from blue to black, and for that moment, it is difficult to discern the fire from its cauldron. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

All day she helped these children manipulate their tongues and their lips and their exhaling breath, guiding them through the difficult language. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

At first Kira felt secretive and stealthy, as if she should make her footsteps as silent as possible, difficult with her stick and her dragging leg. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

He eventually regained his mobility, although the injury put an end to his ability to cut trees and perform difficult landscape work. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

I never saw a busier person than she seemed to be; yet it was difficult to say what she did: or rather, to discover any result of her diligence. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

It was clear, though, that Bobby had a very difficult time considering anything that wasn’t on his own agenda. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It was sometimes difficult to believe that Dr. Roland was a tenured professor in the Social Science Department of this, a distinguished college. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

They were very difficult to see, because whatever they happened to be sitting on or near was exactly the color they happened to be. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

On the morning the rain finally stopped, they awoke to a world covered in fog so thick it was difficult to find one another in their small camp. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

It is too difficult for him, cruelly difficult. Nectar in a Sieve 1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

So I told him about Joey following me home and how difficult it became to talk to my parents about all the money things. Lawn Boy 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z

“So that our murderer is left-handed? No, it is more difficult than that, is it not?” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

Do you know how to get to the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event? Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

“What makes it so difficult was the fact of your husband identifying that first body, over a year ago,” he said. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

I have a difficult time writing at extended length about anything. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

“But others do not think as I do. I would not see your first term unnecessarily complicated by such things. I expect things will be difficult enough for you without that additional worry.” The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

My mother had an especially difficult time learning English. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z

For the rest of the morning it was very difficult to work. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

So this terrifying ascension was most difficult for him, perched as he was on the neck of the giant. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

The most difficult job was keeping the water in the calabash. A Girl Named Disaster 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Your horse carries a difficult burden. And so do you.” The Black Cauldron 1965-06-01T00:00:00Z

“Where there is no likeness of experience it’s very difficult. I understand you were not born in America.” East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

He said I liked maths because it meant solving problems, and these problems were difficult and interesting but there was always a straightforward answer at the end. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

"It must have been difficult supporting such a large family," the judge said. The Westing Game 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

With Everest, the most difficult of the septet, already taken care of, Hall and Ball wangled backing from a big electrical utility, Power Build, and were on their way. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

The only drawback is this old guy, whose name is Charlie, is something of a lunatic and it’s rather difficult to get along with him sometimes. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Forming its head was more difficult, and Tree-ear bent studiously over the work. A Single Shard 2001-04-23T00:00:00Z

Once outside, Violet realized her plan was even more difficult than she had thought. The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

They were doing this to make life difficult for those who didn’t love the revolution above all else. The Red Umbrella 2010-04-25T00:00:00Z

This involved months of difficult chemistry to distinguish the various radioactivities from bombarded foils of platinum, iridium, and gold. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

If I practise certain religious observances, then there are grounds for thinking the statement is true, but it is difficult to see how one could ever prove it. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

This has been a life infinitely more difficult than serving a prison sentence. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Able-bodied men and childbearing women fetched more than juveniles, making an individual accounting difficult. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

Harrison and I found it difficult to look at each other; we were upset and distrustful. Black Boy 1945-01-01T00:00:00Z

As she came into sight again, the watchers below could not help but notice that the climb was more difficult, progress was slower. Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

This was a difficult feat considering that the floor was littered with books and half-empty chai mugs. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

Snow begins, thick and wet, making visibility even more difficult. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to tell what she looked like, with the black scarf that covered all of her hair and much of her forehead. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

Unfortunately at this moment Monsieur Duval was doing a very difficult dance on the wire overhead. Mr. Popper's Penguins 1938-09-01T00:00:00Z

“Of course having a baby is difficult. It’s life changing. Clearly Bebe wasn’t ready for it, practically or emotionally. And that might be the best argument for giving the baby to Linda and Mark.” Little Fires Everywhere 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

“Sometimes you have to take difficult measures to ensure peace,” Johanna says. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Or was it also about self- control, staying on top of your feelings, repressing those that got in the way of an emotionally difficult job? Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

“You are wrong. We do care. We care greatly for the greater good of a singular Collective. The Collective has made difficult choices over all these units to achieve this point.” The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

Furthermore, his father said, settling down after such an adventure would be too difficult. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Any such initiative, he said, would place the United States in “an extremely difficult position through out the world.” Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

It was strange; only a few minutes had passed, but she was already finding it difficult to recall the details of the woman's face. Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

It is not difficult to locate his destination, as several townspeople are walking in the same direction, and once they pass out of town and into the fields, the circus cannot be missed. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

There is so much she wants to say to Ma but talking is difficult. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

They sat silent, finding it difficult to talk about spiritual matters, until finally Sir Lionel spoke for the last time. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

Progress is not linear or incremental, and it is often difficult to reach agreement on the standard by which it should be measured. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

He began to have difficult nights in which the blankets seemed excessively heavy to him, the sheets too light. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It was difficult because we always felt we were under FBI surveillance,” said KGB agent Alexander Feklisov. Bomb 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Mellower was so much a part of the family, it was difficult to think of him as an outsider. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

Imagining that into her mind, pushing the thought of her doing exactly that, was becoming more difficult. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to imagine this Mr. Marshall complaining that the flowers by his bedside were too symmetrically displayed. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

However, as long as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., remained in the South, and my father in the North, neither was too difficult to monitor. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

Even as Gandhi was working for Balasumdaram, the South Africans passed a new law designed to make life difficult for Indians. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z

However, if the force-carrying particles have a high mass, it will be difficult to produce and exchange them over a large distance. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

The more he heard, the more difficult it seemed, and the more despondent he became. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage 2017-10-19T00:00:00Z

Then I was thinking that perhaps it wouldn’t be all that difficult to get it back, but I’d have to wait until nighttime so no one would see me. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

Tracking the weather is one of the most difficult things of all. The London Eye Mystery 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

She sensed the sand coming up around her ankles and found that it was more and more difficult to lift her feet. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

Mutations in genes that specified the basic elements of the body plan were more difficult to identify, since the mutations sharply decreased the survival of organisms. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

It happened because the work at Los Alamos was proving even more difficult than Oppenheimer had expected. Bomb 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

Amsterdam is a crowded city, where even in normal times it's difficult to find housing. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

Speaking was difficult for him, because of the constant pain but also because his throat was burned. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

The Tanzanian field staff are wonderful at following the chimps, even through the most difficult places and up the steepest and most treacherous slopes. My Life with the Chimpanzees 1988-03-01T00:00:00Z

If he could make a galleon model it would last a long time, they were difficult. I'm the King of the Castle 1970-09-03T00:00:00Z

To keep order among the big undisciplined boys without pistol and bull whip was a difficult and dangerous business. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult time not only for Bobby but for the nursing staff as well. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

“Evidently not so difficult, for just now I have found one! Tomorrow I will come and take you to see him.” Homeless Bird 2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

And some folks just found it difficult to compare an Indian to a white guy. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2007-09-01T00:00:00Z

The king’s host was creeping through the heart of the largest forest in the Seven Kingdoms, yet dry wood became difficult to find. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

My blood was racing, and I wished I could slow it, sensing that this must make everything so much more difficult — the thudding of my pulse in my veins. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

Hutchison decided that Lhakpa was right—there was only one choice, however difficult: let nature take its inevitable course with Beck and Yasuko, and save the group’s resources for those who could actually be helped. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

Maintaining the campaign after Christmas proved more difficult, however, and in February it was called off. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

The most difficult part of being in the forest was the loneliness. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

Padva is correct, as she has felt Marco’s gaze burning into the back of her neck all evening, and she is finding it increasingly difficult to ignore. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

We hauled eleven miles today, difficult work: all rock. The Left Hand of Darkness 1969-03-01T00:00:00Z

It would be very difficult to fit a woman of her size into the canoe under normal circumstances. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

“Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent, oh my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting.... So where shall I put you?” Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

They spoke in our language, but with an intonation which made it difficult for us to understand them. Nectar in a Sieve 1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

I suddenly felt ill, and I was also having a difficult time breathing. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

You must be difficult and impossible to ignore. Chasing Vermeer 2004-06-01T00:00:00Z

Sometimes Vincent is ebulliently happy and kind, sometimes furiously angry and difficult. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

His written work was difficult to follow and employed a private form of notation that many found incomprehensible. A Short History of Nearly Everything 2003-05-06T00:00:00Z

He was not late, and yet he found it difficult to slow his pace. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

Better than most people, he knew that Durham was about to enter a particularly difficult period, after enjoying a brief peaceful interval. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

No matter how difficult life had been in the ghetto, at least outwardly it had appeared a familiar world. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z

My strategy was to overwhelm the prison authorities and the courts with legitimate requests, which I knew they would have a difficult time satisfying. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

They set to work feverishly on the difficult forms, and when they’d finished, Milo placed them all in the little man’s lap. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

This left me on my own to face the difficult task of improving myself so I wouldn’t have to hear their reproaches, because they made me so despondent. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

“All of us came here from difficult places,” she reminded him. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

“It was much more difficult to pick me up.” A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

No one mentioned to him the incident out of which the nickname grew because he was a difficult man to approach—a hard man, with a manner so cool it discouraged casual or spontaneous conversation. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

Stanton realized that opposing the Fourteenth Amendment would be a difficult fight; many of her closest friends and former allies disagreed with her position. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

Spread out in scores of cities far beyond the Southwest, they find jobs plentiful but advancement difficult. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

“It would be difficult if citizens wandered in, looking for the Department of Bicycle Repair; or something.” The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

“You are ridiculous,” she said, perhaps fondly or perhaps not; it was difficult to tell. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to say from which direction it had originated. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z

In truth, the fact that you were in the class likely meant you came from a difficult background, homes where parents fought or took drugs or beat their kids or maybe spoke a foreign language. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

And so she asked me for more difficult memories.” The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

Or if those words are too difficult to utter, then say: “Not in the foreseeable future.” The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

My teacher, who knew a little about my past, had warned me beforehand that the film would be difficult to watch, but I wanted to see it. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

“If he’s already in Rûm, extracting him will be difficult.” Anya and the Nightingale 2020-11-10T00:00:00Z

The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

And they objected to making discrimination against women part of the Constitution, fearful that it would make it more difficult for women to establish their rights at a later date. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

Like any classic videogame, the Hunt had simply reached a new, more difficult level. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

“Maybe even more difficult than for a chubby five-year-old.” Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

But it is difficult to persuade Tobias to do something he doesn’t want to do, and even more difficult to justify my feelings with no evidence except my intuition. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

Marina Raskova was less experienced as a pilot than as a navigator, and as the commander of the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment, she too had to learn to fly this difficult plane. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

And even if he had somehow chanced upon them, it’s difficult to imagine him destroying the buildings without boasting of the deed in his diary. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Tali’s body had stiffened by now, and it was difficult to pry his jaw open. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

Prisoners were required to do manual labor in very difficult work environments or face solitary confinement or other disciplinary action. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to tell one from the other. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z

I’d hardly finished before Ruth said in a whisper: “Why do you have to be difficult? Now of all times! I don’t get it. Why do you want to make trouble?” Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Werfel, trying to make him feel better, said, “Oh, of course not—it’s in Old Goblinish. Very difficult even for goblin students to understand. Of course! Of course.” The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge 2018-09-25T00:00:00Z

In public health projects in difficult locales, theory often prevails over practice. Mountains Beyond Mountains 2013-04-13T00:00:00Z

Mrs. Bradley knew people had a difficult time saying nice things to each other, so she devised a way for us to anonymously say what we felt. Thirteen Reasons Why 2007-10-18T00:00:00Z

What comes next is even more difficult: reconciling the new information with what we already know, or think we do. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

Victoria had a difficult childhood: She said she was “worked like a slave” and “whipped like a convict.” Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

He was difficult to make out, but when the horse reared and whinnied, the sound carried all the way to the Argo II. Hazel had no doubt—it was Arion. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

She had been there for him during some of the most difficult years of his life, right when Moss first became a teenager. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

But Haiti never really recovered from its difficult birth. Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science 2010-11-15T00:00:00Z

The huge glare behind him made it difficult to see. The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Was it difficult to study and prepare for the competition?” Out of My Mind 2010-03-09T00:00:00Z

As European nation-states descended into industrial-scale barbarism in the second half of the 1930s, musicians in these countries were placed in a difficult position. The Story of Music 2012-12-25T00:00:00Z

It didn’t take the itch away, but made it difficult enough to scratch that I hoped I’d be able to resist. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

But they are difficult to catch without a special kind of spear, which I now decided to make during the winter when I would have much time. Island of the Blue Dolphins 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z

A person like my mother would have found it difficult to sit in the same room with them. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

She looked distressed and gloomy; she was undoubtedly considering the difficult months and years ahead, of life on her own, raising two small children, in an often hard and forbidding city. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

I could have developed the first two virtues, but becoming a boy was sure to be difficult, if not impossible. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

There seemed to be no difficult concepts to master; the rules were all straightforward. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was much more difficult than on land. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

At first it was a little difficult to see how this fitted in with his being on Jones’s side. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story 1945-08-17T00:00:00Z

The most important thing would require me to go back to the difficult days of August and September. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

The trees made it difficult to advance; the horses tripped on the stones and brush; branches whipped us in the face. The House of the Spirits: A Novel 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It might be difficult,” she tells me, “but we’ll make sure he doesn’t go back to his father. I promise you, King.” King and the Dragonflies 2020-02-04T00:00:00Z

It was getting more difficult to reason with her, especially when she made sense. The Marrow Thieves 2017-05-10T00:00:00Z

Sometimes, on rainy days, the earth underneath would shift and tilt the toilet to one side, making it difficult to balance inside. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child 1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

I had, though I hardly knew it then, cleared the first, and most difficult, hurdle toward eventually enrolling at school. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

I guess me and Jay could be difficult sometimes, but I didn’t think we were trouble as babies. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

But such simplicity is a difficult thing to achieve, because to be clear in your writing you have to be clear in your thinking. Woe Is I 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

I didn’t tell him his presence would make it even more difficult for me to mourn Peeta. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

Never having seen a cyclotron in action and having heard tales of its difficult temperament, Bainbridge’s eyes widened. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

“So the goal is to have DC perform as many missions as possible in two minutes and thirty seconds. That’s how you earn points. The more difficult the mission, the more points you earn.” A High Five for Glenn Burke 2020-02-25T00:00:00Z

But it was difficult to remember any season more emotionally wearing than this one. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Finding the school wasn’t difficult, though I’d never been there before. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

‘It is difficult to keep awake here, until you get used to it,’ said Bilbo. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

He tried to keep his focus, but it was difficult. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Presto turned around in his seat, a difficult maneuver for him. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

“Of course, it’s difficult for you, who knew him best,” said Slughorn, who like Harry could reach no higher than Hagrid’s elbow, but patted it all the same. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

As the years passed, due to the carelessness of some of the Whitcomb brothers, it became difficult to maintain their whiteness, and some distant and some not so distant relatives married each other. The Bluest Eye 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

The lessons had been difficult, and he was relieved he did not have to study anymore. Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps 2001-03-01T00:00:00Z

“Ye must forget sic things. Ye maun summon up your powers to what is difficult. Will ye do that?” The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

The trip is a difficult one, and I must ask my favors while my mind is sound. When You Reach Me 2009-07-14T00:00:00Z

And now it's almost three already and I've wasted these hours and it's becoming difficult to breathe because six thirty is no longer far in the future. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

We still had family in Iran, and we knew how complicated and difficult their lives were under the new regime. Americanized 2018-02-08T00:00:00Z

Cabot Searcy had the kind of confidence that made it difficult for whoever was around him to pay anyone else any attention at all. Where Things Come Back 2011-05-03T00:00:00Z

It was not difficult to imagine the sequence when the slave cast off his chains in pursuit of freedom—and retribution. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

It’s why picking the right candidate for a job is so difficult and why, on more occasions than we may care to admit, utter mediocrities sometimes end up in positions of enormous responsibility. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

His difficult life was punctuated by suicide attempts that started at age seven when he was in elementary school. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

As Shin and his classmates grew older, their work details, called “rallies of endeavor,” grew longer and more difficult. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

“It will make troop movement difficult,” said Tidings. Each Little Bird That Sings 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

Having kids when you have CF falls into the super difficult category. Five Feet Apart 2018-11-20T00:00:00Z

We have evolved with a tendency to link causality to things we can touch or feel, not to some distant or difficult phenomenon. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything 2005-04-12T00:00:00Z

This would be rather difficult, however: the black hole would have the mass of a mountain compressed into less than a million millionth of an inch, the size of the nucleus of an atom! A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

So why is it so difficult for me to forgive myself? Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

Now that we were in upper school, the subjects became more difficult. Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

The fact that the virus mutates rapidly means that vaccines for it will be very difficult to develop. The Hot Zone 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Bobby’s situation aside, it was becoming difficult at that time for any United States citizen to remain in Moscow. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

But lately without the black market not so many commerçants cross the border and it will be difficult. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

NOTE: The French horn79 has a reputation for being a "difficult" instrument to play. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

Even when it finally came it was difficult and he had to Hatchet 115 pull first at one side, then another, an inch at a time, squeezing it through. Hatchet 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

But little by little he began abandoning him to his solitude, for communication was becoming increasingly difficult. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

I have always found change difficult, and leaving Robben Island, however grim it had been at times, was no exception. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I have some aluminum tubing I could use. But welding on a washer—that is difficult. Soldering it would be easier.” October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

Quitting cigarettes wasn’t going to be too difficult. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

“The journey will be difficult. The prophecy warns that four of the twelve will lose life. It may be wisest to leave Boots here.” Gregor the Overlander 2003-09-01T00:00:00Z

Celaena found breathing a bit difficult as she asked, “What happened?” Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

The biggest and most difficult task he had with the book was to make it short enough to be readable. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

He hadn’t anticipated how difficult it would be to see his homeland for the first time in so long. Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

“Will it be difficult taking care of this house?” In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson 1984-10-12T00:00:00Z

Characterizing the similarities is as difficult as nailing down a blob of mercury, because exceptions abound and human behavior is always multifaceted. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

The first day’s march was less difficult than Taran had feared. The Book of Three 1964-03-12T00:00:00Z

The funeral must have been very difficult, she says. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was small, only sixty people who were more likely to leave than bring others, and it was difficult to find, tucked high up in the mountains. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

The letters I and N were clumsily traced on it, and it looked as if the hand that set them down had found the task very difficult. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

The trip is a difficult one; I can carry nothing, and a man can only hold so much paper in his mouth. When You Reach Me 2009-07-14T00:00:00Z

I did not know and this created a difficult psychological situation for me. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

Beneath that facade, however, this brave spy took the next step toward one of the most difficult assignments of his career. Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

The difficult part was to split the almonds in half. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

I left the shop wearing a pair of rubber boots so large my sneakers fit inside and so heavy it was difficult to keep up with my begrudging guide. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

Edwin Stanton continued to serve as secretary of war during the difficult times of Andrew Johnson’s presidency. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

“A difficult time, for her? She isn’t the one that got abandoned.” Hurricane Child 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

It was always difficult to choose which of her books to give away. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

It was difficult; I had to look up many words, but I kept on reading. Breaking Through 2001-08-27T00:00:00Z

She found it difficult to keep her children looking neat and well dressed. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

Try running and grabbing someone’s flag with your foot at the same time—slightly difficult.” Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus 2017-09-05T00:00:00Z

Increasingly it was more difficult to fight the aches and stiffnesses which tried to keep her in bed in the morning—not that they ever succeeded. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

Watching in the bushes, Omakayas and Angeline waited for them to resume their talking, but that day, mulling over Fishtail’s difficult words perhaps, the men kept their silence. The Birchbark House 1999-07-21T00:00:00Z

“Because of my condition, when I was her age my parents tried to hide me away. I didn’t get the medical help I needed until I was grown and the damage was difficult to reverse.” The Stars Beneath Our Feet 2017-09-19T00:00:00Z

To create one nation has proved to be a hideously difficult task; there is certainly no need now to create two, one black and one white. The Fire Next Time 1963-01-21T00:00:00Z

Then she gave me a little secret wink and a smile because even though I’m difficult I’m very special and smart. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Supporting his family was as difficult as ever, but he was glad that at least he was not in jail. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

That morning, Shae’s family had seen them off with as much good cheer as they could muster, but it was obvious they had a difficult time fighting their fear that Shae would never return. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

The sky was clear, the birds were singing, and I felt contented after my difficult night just to be lying in the grass, feeling the ladybugs crawl up my ears. Bunnicula 1979-03-01T00:00:00Z

“Very difficult to obtain. Very good for wounds.” The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

“If we can keep this up then I think that his difficult period will be behind him.” Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

She wondered if that lazy eye made it difficult for Hollister to read, and if so, how torturous that would be, surrounded by books all the time. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

The archaeological community initially found it difficult to credit these findings, but one test after another confirmed both the early date of the structures and the pre-agricultural society of their builders. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

A lot of it was about her, how exhausted she’d been, how difficult one of her donors was, how much she loathed this nurse or that doctor. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Yes, it is difficult. Hard, perhaps. Very much. But you must not take it badly to yourself, my young friend.” The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

“Everyone! Enjoy your evening. The near future will be difficult work, but it will advance our cause.” The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

The most difficult quirk was Seabiscuit’s behavior in the starting gate. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

Since the revolution, it’s been difficult to obtain the right beads. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Institute’s gray stone buildings were so similar to one another and so closely packed it was difficult to judge precisely where one ended and another began. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

“It is a difficult road you’ve taken, one riddled with hardships and painful ordeals, but then again, you are difficult children.” Summer of the Mariposas 2012-10-20T00:00:00Z

And now that she was doing something difficult and familiar and never quite predictable, namely lying, she felt a sort of mastery again, the same sense of complexity and control that the alethiometer gave her. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

He teaches English in a college near the Hudson River, and during the long school vacations he helped me with difficult chores, like making clay pots and blueberry jam. On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

It crossed his mind that although Bigwig would certainly be a useful rabbit in a tight corner, he would also be a difficult one to get on with. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

“My advisors were concerned you would be difficult, but you’re not planning on being difficult, are you?” he asks. Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

Sometimes the doctor hands the most difficult cases to a hospital in Arriaga, a town one and a half hours away. Enrique's Journey 2006-02-21T00:00:00Z

The tool for making the holes was sharp, so that part was not difficult. The Door in the Wall 1949-01-03T00:00:00Z

It would be difficult to say: I could not then distinctly say it to myself; yet I had a reason, and a logical, natural reason too. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

There is very little research on children’s musical play or creativity, making it difficult to draw any large conclusions on the topic. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

It is sometimes difficult to discern performer from patron. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

She nods as if I’ve answered a difficult trivia question correctly. A Place at the Table 2020-08-11T00:00:00Z

“Are you doing difficult puzzles or easy ones?” Louisiana's Way Home 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

What was it about the Americas and Africa that made the spread of food production more difficult there than in Eurasia? Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

One should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer, than to introduce new political orders. The Prince 2008-06-01T00:00:00Z

“That is a difficult one,” said the bee, winking at the letter man. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

Without written music, this would be too difficult. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

I wet my sponge, poured dye on it and touched up the comers of my mouth and my lips, which were always the difficult spots. Black Like Me 1961-01-01T00:00:00Z

We had to stand, still chained, in the hold of the old wooden ferry, which was difficult as the ship rocked in the swells off the coast. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

He reminded them that the United States was “up against an extremely difficult world opinion situation” and declared that he did not want the nation to be “crucified on a cross of atoms.” Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

Kathy’s problems with memory gave way to other difficulties, equally difficult to explain. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for her to distinguish these moments from the deeper anguish of his war wounds. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

Nowadays, when a point of justice is obscure and difficult, each side hires lawyers to argue it out. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

“As everyone knows, it is more difficult to accelerate an automobile than a baby carriage,” read one passage. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z

What I wouldn’t have given, during my most difficult weeks, for a card like this. Warcross 2017-09-12T00:00:00Z

Since then, my life has become much more difficult. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

The other cabinet officers could be anywhere—dinner parties, traveling—and would be difficult to track. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

The ICU with the lingering burns and grievously wounded patients got to be too difficult, and she asked to be transferred back to the ER to do triage. Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam 2018-04-10T00:00:00Z

Having wasted a lot of time worrying aloud about Apparition, Ron was now struggling to finish a viciously difficult essay for Snape that Harry and Hermione had already completed. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one never can tell. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

“It is a difficult journey, and you are such a small girl.” Breadcrumbs 2011-09-27T00:00:00Z

With its distinguished reputation, this was where other hospitals in the country sent their most difficult cases, including people dealing with cancer, serious burns, psychiatric conditions, and infectious diseases. Mountains Beyond Mountains 2013-04-13T00:00:00Z

It had been difficult for us to conceive a child. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z

“Certainly, he was more difficult to get rid of than Satao was.” Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

It was odd how difficult it was to remember what the man said. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

In truth, the tests were subjective at best, one exploding bottle difficult to compare to another. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

The pocket watch on its long silver chain proves most difficult to locate. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

And I’d snapped back that I could care less if Howard yelled at me, which is a difficult sentiment to fully convey without access to the forbidden four-letter words. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

Everything was difficult and odd, and the theme songs all had minor chords. Please Ignore Vera Dietz 2012-10-12T00:00:00Z

She was peering into the fog, wondering how it could be so difficult to fly across one stupid mountain range, when the ship’s alarm bells sounded. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

That won’t be as difficult as saying it to her face. On the Far Side of the Mountain 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

But to continue was difficult, particularly because he was so unusually wide. The Metamorphosis 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It’s a difficult choice, I know,” her father said. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

The three-year test moratorium had been a difficult period for Livermore, now under the leadership of Edward Teller. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

Excessive concern with oneself makes it difficult to see this and thus can lead to depression as well as innumeracy. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Inaccurate data from countries with high incidences of MDR have made it difficult for pharmaceutical companies to meet demand for these drugs consistently, and therefore market prices have fluctuated. Mountains Beyond Mountains 2013-04-13T00:00:00Z

“I know this is a difficult thing. You’re young. But maybe you could get more specific about your feelings.” The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian 2007-09-01T00:00:00Z

More difficult interviews followed—by other reporters, and then by a gaundet of scowling officials at the Ministry of Tourism. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

My gratitude for her kindness has carried me a long way on a difficult road. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

What was more difficult was being sure about one’s self. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

I can imagine how difficult it must’ve been for him to show me this hallowed piece of paper. Love, Hate & Other Filters 2018-01-16T00:00:00Z

Even if Fertile Crescent crops adapted to winter rain could somehow have crossed the Sahara, they would have been difficult to grow in the summer-rain Sahel zone. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

The good news was a salve for a difficult summer. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

Just try to imagine how difficult it would have been to create states, or churches, or legal systems if we could speak only about things that really exist, such as rivers, trees and lions. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

I tried to understand that, too, but it was difficult. The Shakespeare Stealer 1998-05-01T00:00:00Z

Few of the refugees spoke English, so communication with the aid workers was often difficult. A Long Walk to Water 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to say exactly in these matters,” said the doctor, “but I think I can say definitely that death occurred between midnight and two in the morning.” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

Milkman’s neck had swollen so it was difficult for him to lower his chin without pain. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

It became difficult to tell when we were talking and when we were silent. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z

With the sun beating down on the top of her head, the heat and humidity make it difficult for her to breathe. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Fixing accurate distances between cities was a difficult proposition before the advent of modem surveying techniques. Circumference 2008-11-25T00:00:00Z

People who knew Walter found it difficult to believe he could be responsible for a sensational murder. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

The most difficult stage of the adventure now begins. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Stands of teosinte have been seen in the wild, but because the “ears” are tiny and constantly shattering they are difficult to harvest. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

The idea that it might be difficult finding a single vine strand in a small sea of Snow Sand never bothered him. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

Its geographic position made the kingdom difficult to reach by both land and sea, but easy to defend by anyone already established there. Circumference 2008-11-25T00:00:00Z

“I am pleased to say that they are surpassing all expectations. Three more studious and dedicated pupils would be difficult to imagine.” The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

It was less dangerous to travel at this hour, as some of the gunmen were dozing off and the night made it difficult for the militiamen to see me from afar. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

The returning student had recently come through a difficult divorce, and because her pain was significant, she wrongly insisted that her writing was significant as well. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

Polybotes found it difficult to say goodbye, since he no longer had a head. Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

The longer an isotope’s half-life, the more muted its radioactivity, and, therefore, the more difficult it was to detect. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

We were warned that travel anywhere would be difficult. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

But then, it would probably have been impossible to talk her out of a dress that made it so difficult to walk. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

For some mysterious reason I find it difficult to lie to the tinkerer. Dread Nation 2018-04-03T00:00:00Z

After Kalinda, I find it difficult to come back to sitting in complete silence. Hurricane Child 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

She didn’t want to be thinking like that, which of course made it all the more difficult to stop. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

I found a recipe that gave instructions for gathering wild yeast, in a process that took several days but didn’t sound too difficult. The Omnivore's Dilemma 2006-04-11T00:00:00Z

But it was very difficult to decide which of the diagrams was most like the face they were making because people’s faces move very quickly. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

He was, his son remembered, morally meticulous, and though Ishmael might strive to emulate this, there was nevertheless this matter of the war— this matter of the arm he’d lost—that made such scrupulosity difficult. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

“No, that won’t do at all. Such a bother feeding them and caring for them. Besides, with Orgoch it’s difficult to keep pets about.” The Black Cauldron 1965-06-01T00:00:00Z

She could see that Matt was trying to look sad for her benefit, but it was difficult for a boy whose temperament was so merry. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

The glass is shattered in a star radiating from the corner of Scott’s eye, so it’s difficult to read his expression. The Girl on the Train 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z

When Charles had just gotten back from the voyage, he found it difficult at first to resume where he had left off with his sisters and his father. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

But it’s difficult to keep to it because the bushes are thick. Al Capone Does My Shirts 2004-01-01T00:00:00Z

“My advisors were concerned you would be difficult but you’re not planning on being difficult at all, are you?” Catching Fire 2009-09-01T00:00:00Z

Trade cannot exist without trust, and it is very difficult to trust strangers. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

The final battle was going to be the most difficult. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

For myself, I try to keep the line open even for things I can’t understand or explain, but it is difficult in this frightened time. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to be specific when the core of a man’s character was elusiveness. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to hear exactly what they were saying so she turned the water off. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

They were costly items and difficult to obtain. Huntress 2011-04-05T00:00:00Z

It made us a target in these difficult times. I Will Always Write Back 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

“Belonging” was a difficult concept at the moment. A Place to Belong 2019-05-14T00:00:00Z

In fact Maddie didn’t fly at night for a while after she’d clocked the hours and had her logbook stamped, and she had a difficult time keeping in practice because she used it so little. Code Name Verity 2012-05-15T00:00:00Z

I had never heard of Pennsylvania, and had a difficult time pronouncing it. I Will Always Write Back 2016-05-03T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for all the men—even Rondon—not to feel depressed. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger. Of Mice and Men 1937-01-01T00:00:00Z

It turns out to be very difficult to devise a theory to describe the universe all in one go. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

There are answers to these questions, but they are difficult to swallow when millions of Americans have displayed a willingness to elect a black man president of the United States. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to see how these calves would grow according to Josiah’s theories. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

Convincing Uncle Jet to have the ceremony might turn out to be more difficult than helping the water monster. Healer of the Water Monster 2021-05-11T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult for me to believe I have power over him, of any sort, but I do; although it’s of an equivocal kind. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

Naturally, the nervous species are difficult to keep in captivity. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

“It’s not difficult to find people in America. I bought a map of the U.S., and called up information for cities in Northern California,” he said. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

Warmth crept through his body and a feeling of power, as if nothing could be too difficult for him. The Door in the Wall 1949-01-03T00:00:00Z

He’d even been grateful for the message broadcast, which was so irritating and made it so difficult to concentrate that he’d had no space left over in his brain to worry about Sticky. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

It was especially difficult to find non-bumable materials to substitute for what we already had. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Why do you have to be so difficult all the time?” she shrieks. Free Lunch 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z

Though the rock was difficult to climb, I’d done so before on one of my solitary rambles. Crispin: The Cross of Lead 2002-06-01T00:00:00Z

“We know this transition will be difficult for you, but—” “We?” Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

I wish he wouldn’t, because if Amá sees us, it will be difficult to explain. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

He seemed to have come to a difficult passage or to be troubled about something. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

The kitchen was so crowded that evening it was difficult to maneuver knives and forks. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

Capturing their sounds, however, is difficult to do in regular notation, and children do not have the ability to formally notate something using staff paper and lines. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to say. You see it is turned off by the conductor every morning about ten o’clock.” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Dying is much more difficult than one imagines.” One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

It was as difficult to go out as to come in. Night 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to get through the crowd. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I practiced with the gun a lot, and found that it did work, but it was very difficult to use. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

While the rain forest had more kinds of animals than any other habitat—with many species still undiscovered—they were often difficult to see. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for him to sleep and to urinate. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

Besides, Katherine always expected the best, even in the most difficult of situations. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z

Our caseworkers tried to figure out what kinds of foods we liked, but communication was difficult. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

I backed away, and watched their difficult embrace. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

"It may be difficult to believe," he said. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

“I ain’t that small! Plenty boys my age are smaller’n me. Besides, a thing don’t have to be difficult if you give it some thought and apply a little elementary physics.” The Young Man and the Sea 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

“Probably not so difficult as raising a daughter.” In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson 1984-10-12T00:00:00Z

Stanley couldn't see his feet, which made it difficult to walk through the tangled patches of weeds and vines. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

It is rather difficult to talk about human memory because we don’t know how the brain works in detail. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

The trip had been a difficult one, and it cost him over seven thousand dollars: He had flown from Quito to Guatemala, then taken a boat to Acapulco. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to be a volunteer at this hospital, because that's what all the Junior League women wanted to do, but luckily for me, a lot of them were away on vacation. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

This is more difficult than generally presumed, particularly after a person has been dead for several days. Killers of the Flower Moon 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

“I wanted to see how you children were settling in, but I had a very difficult case in the High Court and it was taking up much of my time.” The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

It was a very practical application of acting with a very difficult audience. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

The stairs are narrow and difficult for parents to climb. The Help 2009-02-10T00:00:00Z

Charles and James had in common one of life's most difficult challenges. Ambushed! 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

Of course, by then he had seen enough Navajo men to know that it is difficult for white men to tell our age by looking at us. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

The land had been falling steadily, ever since they turned aside from the Road, and they now entered a wide flat expanse of country, much more difficult to manage. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

In that chapter he also included other difficult problems. Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

The seats might be raised high in the air, but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

And if black holes were as varied as the objects that collapsed to form them, it might be very difficult to make any predictions about black holes in general. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

I realize it’s my job to be the optimist here—which isn’t a role I’m used to, but in difficult times, you gotta be flexible. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

It was a long, difficult labor for a fifth baby, and I was born at 12:35 p.m. Ugly 2013-08-20T00:00:00Z

I am sorry to deliver such difficult news, as I know you are far away and still very young yourself, and so can do little. Dactyl Hill Squad 2018-09-11T00:00:00Z

Master grunted in response, watching Ugwu and his aunty with a faintly distracted expression, as if their presence made it difficult for him to remember something important. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

“I don’t think it would be too difficult. I couldn’t see the mechanism when we entered the prison gate, but from the layout, I’m guessing it’s pretty standard.” Six of Crows 2015-09-29T00:00:00Z

He had an extremely difficult time communicating with the people around him. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 1997-06-26T00:00:00Z

We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

She took us from the sonnets of Browning to the sonnets of Shakespeare, which I found difficult. Bad Boy 2001-05-08T00:00:00Z

The work assigned women could he just as difficult as that assigned men. Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps 2001-03-01T00:00:00Z

The steps were slimed with moss and difficult to climb, and I had to go slowly or risk falling. Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

She’d thought of a good one: Where the wet things are between art and science, encrypted in her and James’s secret language to make it a little more difficult. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

I had a history of being difficult in Ms. Solomon’s class. The Line Tender 2019-04-16T00:00:00Z

Constantly make the “right” difficult decisions and represent themselves and their organizations as the leaders they are. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

He tried to remember why they were here, but the sense of despair made it difficult to think. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

The brim of the hat made it difficult to see the man's face. Nazi Saboteurs 2019-12-03T00:00:00Z

Sometimes your world shakes so hard, it’s difficult to imagine that everyone else isn’t feeling it too. The Sun Is Also a Star 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

In the past, only a dramatically inept or difficult student was held back a grade. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything 2005-04-12T00:00:00Z

He was not comfortable with these men—that was it—it was difficult for him to accept them as his elders and betters in the faith. Go Tell It on the Mountain 1953-05-18T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to picture them because, with his limited vocabulary, he described everyone as “very good.” Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

During the Middle Ages, the journey from England to this remote site was a long and difficult one, but that didn’t stop people from going. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village 2007-07-24T00:00:00Z

Just as it's difficult to count the Motherland’s complete death toll, it’s difficult to verify exactly how many Soviet airwomen were killed during the Great Patriotic War. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

What Madison actually thought about the most frantic expressions of Virginian mistrust is difficult to know. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

“Anyway, I agree with you—but it’s difficult to know where to start in all this madness.” Hollow City 2014-01-14T00:00:00Z

“Well, he’s not attending the class, from what I understand, which can make it very difficult to learn the language.” Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z

After all, I’m just a Charlie-come-lately, and it is difficult for Nemur to accept the fact that my work might be beyond him. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

From today's vantage it is difficult to imagine the impact maize must have had in southern Mexico at the beginning, but perhaps a comparison will help. 1491 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z

The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at one another, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

It is very, very difficult to sneak out of an RV when a grandfather is sleeping right on a pullout bench below. A Heart in a Body in the World 2018-09-18T00:00:00Z

It would be extremely difficult to get everyone—not to mention the bomb itself—to this point of readiness again. Bomb 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to believe the grunts and cusses she’d heard over the months had come out of that little mouth, but the eyes were proof enough. The Underground Railroad: A Novel 2016-08-02T00:00:00Z

Exactly where Washington fit in this horrific picture is difficult to determine. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation 2000-10-17T00:00:00Z

It was thus difficult to avoid the disquieting thought that I was not accomplishing anything. Double Helix 1968-02-27T00:00:00Z

“I got it! I got it! God! Why does this philosophy stuff have to be so difficult? Give me calculus any day!” Ask the Passengers 2012-10-23T00:00:00Z

“I’m sorry to bring you more news at such a difficult time, but I want to inform you of a development.” Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

The early 1930s were difficult years to make a living in any profession, let alone the arts. Spooked! 2018-08-07T00:00:00Z

He had made a difficult journey of six days, pulling along the mule, who was dying of hunger, in order to arrive at the armistice on time. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

Our daughter Makaziwe’s birth was not difficult, yet she was frail and sickly. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

And then he added in a very discouraged tone, “Everything in Digitopolis is much too difficult for me.” The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

It became clear to Woundwort that it was going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to take the warren by attack down the defended runs. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Henrietta’s husband and children were still patients at Hopkins, he said, so finding them wouldn’t be difficult. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 2010-02-02T00:00:00Z

‘Once the statue is returned to the Greeks ... I think it will be difficult to destroy. It has great magic. It has simply chosen not to use it yet.’ Blood of Olympus 2014-10-07T00:00:00Z

“The explanations are difficult. The whole thing is so beyond one’s experience. But I tried. And she listened carefully. Her eyes were very luminous, I remember.” The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

“It is difficult to give him a rating above a $5,000 plater,” wrote one journalist, using the synonym for claimer. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

I shot back, ticked off that he was making this difficult. Red Kayak 2004-09-23T00:00:00Z

When I’d finished, he laced his fingers as if he were contemplating a difficult problem. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

‘There is another way. O yes indeed there is. Another way, darker, more difficult to find, more secret. But Sméagol knows it. Let Sméagol show you!’ The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

She’d had such a difficult time herself accepting that there could be a monster in his family, how would he take it? Pet 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z

Kira tried to quiet Matt but he had a difficult time whispering. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some groups, however, had a very difficult time “melting,” particularly people of color. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

That deep, can-still-taste-her-in-my-mouth sleep, that sleep that is not particularly restful but is difficult to wake from all the same. Looking for Alaska 2005-03-03T00:00:00Z

The angry voices shouting at me made it all the more difficult to find my way through these unfamiliar surroundings. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

We only had one day to write the essay, so it was difficult for me to pinpoint what I wanted to say in so little time. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

The Company set out again, with good speed at first; but soon their way became steep and difficult. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

It was raining hard, making it difficult to see. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

“You make this more difficult than it has to be.” Beasts of Prey 2021-09-28T00:00:00Z

They had a difficult time convincing their wives that they had to go off into distant fields. The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

That’s difficult, and it’s difficult because it takes time with some of you. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

Nights were especially difficult, for they were the few hours when she couldn't busy herself feeding or caring for us. The Boy on the Wooden Box 2013-08-27T00:00:00Z

Reality is difficult for me because of where I live. The Freedom Writers Diary 1999-10-12T00:00:00Z

You can make a hard-boiled egg rubbery so it will go into a milk bottle, although getting it out again is more difficult. Cat's Eye 1988-09-01T00:00:00Z

The hat might be rather difficult, and I should have to wear a wig. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

“The Taliban have made it very difficult for us here.” Shooting Kabul 2010-06-22T00:00:00Z

Racial stigma today makes collective action extremely difficult—sometimes impossible—whereas racial stigma during Jim Crow contained the seeds of revolt. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

“Well, people need stories to divert them at difficult times like this.” The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

It is often difficult to work out quite where to draw the line when dealing with actor’s concepts. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

A thing that was difficult to determine was the attitude of the pigs towards Moses. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story 1945-08-17T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to believe, but Bobby rejected one set because the length of the knight’s nose was too long; the anti-Semitic symbolism was hardly lost on those who heard the complaint. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

There is a phrase the Japanese use in such situations, when something difficult must be endured. Farewell to Manzanar 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

The book was long, and difficult to read, and Klaus became more and more tired as the night wore on. The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

Her Igbo dialect came out sounding strange, with words dropped; it was difficult to understand. Purple Hibiscus 2003-10-01T00:00:00Z

“I have come on a difficult matter,” he said. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

I am really trying not to think of her that way, which is becoming increasingly difficult. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

“As Aquilla isn’t speaking with me, that might be a bit difficult.” An Ember in the Ashes 2015-04-28T00:00:00Z

And Rav Gershenson remained silent and impassive, listening intently, his face expressionless, except for an occasional upward curving along the corners of his lips whenever I clarified a particularly difficult point. The Chosen 1967-04-28T00:00:00Z

This was a very difficult task, and it took a long time. The Girl Who Married a Lion: and Other Tales from Africa 2004-12-07T00:00:00Z

"Well, it’s hardly to be wondered at in this fog, Madam. That’s what I said to Robert just now. It’s difficult to find your way on the road, let alone on the water." Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

They excluded African American women from their efforts to secure the vote, fearing that it would be more difficult to gain favor for the cause among the powerful white male populace. 1919 The Year That Changed America 2019-01-08T00:00:00Z

By being close to the avenger, he made it difficult for him to swing the sword. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

Or I was so used to lying instead of telling difficult truths that I welcomed the chance to deceive her. Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t so difficult for her in the end: it was more a confidence thing, and with us there for support, she seemed to lose her fear of the fence. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to believe anything could taste so repulsive. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to usher the remaining patrons out as the dawn creeps up, and they are only consoled by assurances that they may return when the sun sets again. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

The question/answer technique is slightly more difficult than echoing in that echoing merely imitates what the leader has done, and answering requires the creation of a different rhythm. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

I frequently had difficult conversations with clients who were struggling and despairing over their situations—over the things they'd done, or had been done to them, that had led them to painful moments. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

It’s certainly difficult for individuals to think about “their” work going away, being done thousands of miles away by someone earning thousands of dollars less per year. The World Is Flat 2005-04-05T00:00:00Z

I don’t want to see Mom, who is everything difficult and set at a slower speed, everything forty-five minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

But it was very difficult They listened, of course, but I had the feeling that neither of them really understood what had happened on our cay. The Cay 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

It’s just as difficult as saying no, when it should be so much easier. Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

It was as if his heart and lungs had been compacted into a hard, round ball, making it difficult for him to breathe. The Fighting Ground 1984-04-01T00:00:00Z

Each group was forced into a rhythm, keeping a pace that was difficult for the slowest and weakest of them as they marched. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Keeping our Nightbeast well fed is quite difficult. The meat of other monstruos will only go so far, but every so often, we are willing to accept a sacrifice. Namely, the three of you.” Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

Her heart weighs so heavy, and it is getting more and more difficult to breathe. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

I know it is difficult, little girl, it said. Pet 2019-09-10T00:00:00Z

I didn’t realize how difficult the decision to leave them must have been for him. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

But for residents of Pyongyang, electricity is intermittent at best, hot water is rarely available, and travel outside the country is difficult except for diplomats and state-sponsored businessmen. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

The money is an incentive—the word “incentive” here means “an offered reward to persuade you to do something you don’t want to do”—to read long, dull, and difficult books. The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

‘I know. But it is difficult to do both,’ he objected. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

“Oh, it’s not that difficult. You hardly have to practice at all.” Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy 2004-05-24T00:00:00Z

In Paris, Theo hears what a difficult time it is for all of them. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

“Why,” he said at last, “why did you come alone—why were you sent alone? Everything, still, will depend upon that ship coming. Why was it made so difficult for you, and for us?” The Left Hand of Darkness 1969-03-01T00:00:00Z

It looked like a relatively simple problem—but it was fiendishly difficult to build a simple model. The Gene 2016-06-02T00:00:00Z

Her accent was even thicker; it was difficult to make out everything she said. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

I know this will be a difficult task, since anyone Peeta shares childhood memories with would most likely be from town, and almost none of those people escaped the flames. Mockingjay 2010-08-24T00:00:00Z

Their lives had been exceedingly difficult and their relationship with the government was strained: nearly a quarter of the men and thirty-seven percent of the women said family members had died of hunger. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

If Giebel had been the only person acting out of character in the quest for crazy-quilt expansion, it would have been more difficult to excuse or explain his actions. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

All of these persisting effects were severe enough to make it difficult for the physician to carry on his practice. Silent Spring 1962-09-27T00:00:00Z

Millions find themselves locked out of the legal economy, and no one with a record has a more difficult time getting hired than black men. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

His head was ringing; this was no less difficult to understand than anything else. The Subtle Knife 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

Moss knew they were being difficult because they cared. Anger Is a Gift 2018-05-22T00:00:00Z

Another help was that the great waves had washed ashore long strings of black pitch, which was often difficult to find on the island and which I needed. Island of the Blue Dolphins 1960-01-01T00:00:00Z

Its contents clearly were heavy and made the big trunk difficult to manage. The Devil in the White City 2003-02-11T00:00:00Z

“It must be very difficult for you, dear,” Mrs. Derby said, as if she had read Amari’s mind. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

Diego had an honest face, but I found it difficult to believe he’d come to the party to see me when I was practically invisible to everyone else. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

Moving to a new airfield was often difficult and dangerous for the Soviet aviators. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

And I really do mean force:it’s more difficult than I think it’s ever been. Fast Pitch 2021-08-31T00:00:00Z

I found myself growing more and more angry, and I felt the anger begin to focus itself upon Danny Saunders, and suddenly it was not at all difficult for me to hate him. The Chosen 1967-04-28T00:00:00Z

In the best of conditions, the hill would have been a difficult, demanding ride. The Giver 1993-04-01T00:00:00Z

Even when your plane is flying in a windless sky, a mechanical failure can make it difficult or impossible to fly. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

“Yeah, well, duh, it’s not the most difficult thing in the world.” It’s Kind of a Funny Story 2006-04-02T00:00:00Z

Next, Leah raised the difficult issue of Nelson: nearly half our eggs went to him for his pay. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Though it is difficult,” said Jane, “to guess in what way he can mean to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his credit.” Pride and Prejudice 1813-01-28T00:00:00Z

In 1960, Tanganyika was still under British colonial rule, and Louis said it had been very difficult to get this permission. My Life with the Chimpanzees 1988-03-01T00:00:00Z

The heart stopped beating immediately, a clear sign that the path would continue to be difficult. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

He can be a difficult man—self-centered and selfish, brash and conceited. Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 2017-04-18T00:00:00Z

The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 2000-07-08T00:00:00Z

The inmate being ratted out was difficult and disrespectful, so I didn’t mind passing the tip along to a sergeant. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was as difficult at first for the black upper class to swallow this message as it was for the white leaders of Durham. The Best of Enemies 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

There’s more about any and all in the chapter on verbs, None is the most difficult of the two-faced words, those that can be either singular or plural. Woe Is I 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Amal, I’m sorry. I had no idea of your circumstances. But even in difficult situations, especially in difficult situations, you can't lose hope. Things change. They might even change for you one day.” Amal Unbound 2018-05-08T00:00:00Z

By now she was a member of the senior choir at Union Baptist Church, which gave her the chance to learn more difficult and varied music. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights 2004-05-25T00:00:00Z

But it was difficult to hold a jewelry box in your hand without opening it. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

As we contemplated the fire, and as I thought what a difficult vision to realise this same Capital sometimes was, I put my hands in my pockets. Great Expectations 1861-08-01T00:00:00Z

HARRY: Now this is difficult but we have to ask it to rule it out. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child 2016-07-31T00:00:00Z

Could I skip the difficult hands and feet and just concentrate on the parts that interested me, or would I be forced to sketch the entire figure? Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

It's more in the way one might be glad to see an affectionate trio of pets at the end of a particularly difficult day. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

The painted words on the windows make it difficult to really see much out there. How It Went Down 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

The air is smoky and filled with flying bits of debris; there’s so much of it, it’s almost difficult to breathe. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

Ma and Ba found the days without Minli long and difficult. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon 2009-07-01T00:00:00Z

St. John’s eyes, though clear enough in a literal sense, in a figurative one were difficult to fathom. Jane Eyre 1847-10-16T00:00:00Z

Grace’s brow was furrowed, almost as if she was listening to someone explain something very difficult. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

Some of his early views made the decision difficult. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Nigel came in with a blanket and told me the doctor was held up at a difficult childbirth. Kindred 1979-06-01T00:00:00Z

This way, the soldiers explained to us, it would be difficult for the enemy to attack. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

Milkman closed his eyes and tried to prop his chin on his hand, but it was too difficult. Song of Solomon 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

Because of the wind, which would make the shooting much more difficult, he could probably afford to go slowly enough so as to assure snagging the glasses. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

I know that I lost, and the only thing keeping the pain at bay is what is making it difficult to think straight. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

Mother wouldn’t be difficult to convince; after all, in school I was a year ahead of my grade and Mother was a firm believer in self-sufficiency. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Father found it difficult to tear his own father away from his study of the natural world and make him focus on some point of commerce. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate 2009-05-12T00:00:00Z

It was very difficult to catch rides in the Yukon Territory. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The trails to the shack were not difficult to remember. Fablehaven 2006-07-30T00:00:00Z

“My father says being different makes life more difficult.” Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

Immediately after lunch there arrived a delicate, difficult piece of work which would take several hours and necessitated putting everything else aside. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

“I am sorry. That must be difficult to endure.” Lucky Broken Girl 2017-04-11T00:00:00Z

"It's just that I don't find it very difficult to multiply one number by another." Matilda 1988-10-01T00:00:00Z

They imply philosophical claims which are difficult, perhaps impossible, to defend, yet in practice they work well. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

I explained to a group of several hundred Africans, Indians, and Coloureds that volunteering was a difficult and even dangerous duty, as the authorities would seek to intimidate, imprison, and perhaps attack the volunteers. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“That’s a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand —” Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

I could see him moody, difficult, irritable perhaps, but not angry as she had inferred, not passionate. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

When doctors are faced with a difficult diagnosis, they order more tests, and when we are uncertain about what we hear, we ask for a second opinion. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

I thought it would be very difficult to cross. The Book of Unknown Americans 2014-06-03T00:00:00Z

“You must do this so that you can move forward as a scythe,” Scythe Mandela said, “knowing in your heart that the most difficult thing you’ll ever have to do...has already been done.” Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

“Really difficult to get in. But you two have it. Natural ability and you already know so much.” I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

We chatted about the difficult and maybe thankless job Karzai had in front of him, about the upcoming Loyajirga, and the king’s imminent return to his homeland after twenty-eight years of exile. The Kite Runner 2003-05-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult for us to grasp the extent to which this continued to be the case long into the seventeenth century. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Such a world as they lived in was difficult to imagine. Kira-Kira 2004-02-01T00:00:00Z

The pain made it difficult for him to focus; he could hardly get through a sentence before his mind surrendered to it. Educated 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

Yossarian felt his heart stop, then pound so violently he found it difficult to breathe. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z

The curse of knowledge, in combination with chunking and functional fixity, helps make sense of the paradox that classic style is difficult to master. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

Yet bonds of friendship, colleagueship, and shared travail in the bomb project made it difficult for Lawrence to dismiss Oppenheimer’s disquiet entirely. Big Science 2015-07-07T00:00:00Z

That makes it difficult for an inventor to foresee whether his or her awful prototype might eventually find a use and thus warrant more time and expense to develop it. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

It is not difficult to show this using a tool from probability theory called an expectation, which is a measure of how much we expect each envelope to be worth. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

“It must be very difficult to live in a city you can’t see,” Milo insisted, jumping aside as a line of cars and trucks went by. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

Dear Dean O’Neill, It occurs to me that the people who will be reading this letter are faced with a difficult decision concerning my admission to the University of Chicago. Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

Several times during our long weeks of interviews, he mentioned a “dead space” inside him, which he said made it difficult for him to feel much of anything. Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

He found it difficult to bear lying quietly during the night, and soon eating no longer gave him the slightest pleasure. The Metamorphosis 1915-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ifemelu hastily looked away, hoping he had not seen her watching him, and asked him if he could explain a difficult question in her homework. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

With Deydey home, things were more exciting, things were more difficult, things were less predictable but somehow more secure. The Birchbark House 1999-07-21T00:00:00Z

It is the most difficult thing a person can be asked to do. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

It is not difficult to imagine plausible causes for Waterman’s instability. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to believe how silent it all had been a moment ago, and how Biafran markets now thrived so easily in the bush since the Nigerians bombed the open-air Awgu market. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

It was encouraging to see signs of life in him, but it was difficult to get him to keep the medicine down. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Moves can be difficult for everyone, but especially for these refugee children, who were just getting used to life in Atlanta. Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference 2009-04-21T00:00:00Z

My brother became a successful high-school football coach and a mentor to hundreds of young men, helping them through the difficult transition from adolescence to manhood. October Sky 1999-04-01T00:00:00Z

As a result, Norwegian children all learn to swim when they are very young because if you can’t swim it is difficult to find a place to bathe. Boy: Tales of a Childhood 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Witchlings picked up their pace, which was proving difficult as their boots sank into the dark red mud. Witchlings 2022-04-05T00:00:00Z

Yet Yali’s apparently simple question is a difficult one to answer. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

Sam called it “forced recess”—they let us out of our cabins, and the work wasn’t difficult or tiring like it was in the Garden, but no one wanted to be there. The Darkest Minds 2012-12-18T00:00:00Z

Books about the law are notorious for being very long, very dull, and very difficult to read. The Bad Beginning 1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

The nights had grown more difficult lately, for the warmth of the sun during the day barely lasted past dark, leaving the nights cold and clammy. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

His household includes two older sisters, both of them with babies who sometimes keep him up at night and make studying, to the extent he wants to do that, difficult. Drama High 2013-09-26T00:00:00Z

The more difficult it was to love the particular man beside us, the more we believed in Love, abstract and total. The Handmaid's Tale 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

But in September word came to Washington from the excitable general who, months before, had annoyed Congress with his predictions of a long and difficult war. Across Five Aprils 1964-01-01T00:00:00Z

Hamilton figured we'd just cruise around until we found something that looked available, but as it grew darker it was difficult to spot any marina space. Hole in My Life 2002-03-26T00:00:00Z

Being the only female in what was basically a boys’ club must have been difficult for her. The Secret History 1992-10-16T00:00:00Z

It was clearly difficult for him to say this. The House of the Scorpion 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Like the earlier system, Jim Crow seemed “natural,” and it became difficult to remember that alternative paths were not only available at one time, but nearly embraced. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

In her fury, she found it difficult to keep her voice down. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t at all difficult to find the right sort of things for the altar of Nefertiti-Isis. The Egypt Game 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

I wanted to be happy for him, but it was so difficult. Because of Mr. Terupt 2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

“Ah, but it’s a difficult thing to refuse immortality,” Amah said, beckoning to Yishan. When the Sea Turned to Silver 2016-10-04T00:00:00Z

He was scathingly critical of the small hole that had been gouged into the side of the ditch, roundly cursing any creature who dared to complain of difficult obstacles. Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

But now, as we were stepping back into reality and moving forward with our lives, it became difficult to focus on the relationship. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

Obtaining random samples is a difficult art, and the pollster doesn’t always succeed. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

It will be difficult to break the habits of thinking Abnegation instilled in me, like tugging a single thread from a complex work of embroidery. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

People with autism find it difficult, if not impossible, to do all of the things that I've been describing so far as natural and automatic human processes. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

It was difficult for me to decide to quit my job as an astronaut, but I thought I had a couple of good reasons. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Everyone in my family tells me what a difficult baby I was compared to Olga. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

“Why are you making it so difficult for me to hang out with you?” Starfish 2017-09-26T00:00:00Z

“Not at all, not at all. But it might be difficult to explain how all this could happen without your parents knowing.” Lawn Boy 2007-06-12T00:00:00Z

It was the most difficult thing I had ever done. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

It is a difficult matter to keep Love imprisoned. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes 1942-01-01T00:00:00Z

I look up closure and it says: the state of experiencing an emotional conclusion to a difficult life event such as the death of loved one. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

He rolls his eyes, as if I'm being a difficult little girl. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

He felt a chill bristle across his neck, and it was difficult to swallow the mouthful of stew. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

In those days it was not difficult to get into either of these great universities so long as you could pay. Boy: Tales of a Childhood 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was late, and it had been a long, difficult day for everyone, so the bears said good-bye and headed back to their cave. The Wild Robot 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

Each time they clambered out, the trees seemed deeper and darker; and always to the left and upwards it was most difficult to find a way, and they were forced to the right and downwards. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

“Jessamyn West said, ‘Writing is so difficult that writers, having had their hell on earth, will escape all punishment hereafter.’ All The Bright Places 2015-01-06T00:00:00Z

Jobs can be found in the suburbs—mostly service sector jobs—but employment for unskilled men with criminal convictions, while difficult to find anywhere, is especially hard to find close to home. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

You’ve just come through something difficult, and this is the time for a table full of love and friendship and the exciting entrees you can only find at... Feed 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Anyone who claims that the older folks have a more difficult time in the Annex doesn’t realize that the problems have a far greater impact on us. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

It is still too difficult for most Americans to do this. Between the World and Me 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z

It was difficult sometimes, but he tried to avoid that sort of thinking. The Things They Carried 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Even though he says I don’t, I feel like I have to explain why this fear is so difficult for me to face. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

I jumped and got a quick look at them, but it was difficult to see in the sunlight filtering through the cabin’s windows. Root Magic 2021-01-05T00:00:00Z

“Would you rather it be more difficult? I can cook up some algebraic equations if you’d like.” Amari and the Night Brothers 2021-01-19T00:00:00Z

It's a difficult life, tying to live on your own, away from your family and community, in a city known for being cutthroat. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

The roof would be difficult because her bad leg made it almost impossible for her to climb. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

They collected so many caterpillars that it was difficult to keep track of all their food sources. The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science 2018-02-20T00:00:00Z

Relocating from one place to another within the community was not difficult. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

Usually, solving the problems listed as difficult makes me feel better. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl 2018-05-01T00:00:00Z

“I don’t think that should be so very difficult,” James told them. James and the Giant Peach 1961-11-01T00:00:00Z

“Nothing. He is going to train me, starting as soon as possible. He says it will not be too difficult for me, for I am not without learning.” Nectar in a Sieve 1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult with the chains on, but she managed to crawl, painfully and slowly. Copper Sun 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z

She was drawing up idioms in the list, visions of me in the whitest raw light, instant snapshots of the difficult truths native to our time together. Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to prove that preliterate people were motivated by faith rather than economic necessity. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

I remembered a worrisome course in the Victorian novel where woman after woman died, palely and nobly, in torrents of blood, after a difficult childbirth. The Bell Jar 1963-01-14T00:00:00Z

So they soon turned to more difficult problems: quadratic equations—equations that begin with an x2 term, like x2 – 1 = 0. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

“We know this is difficult to understand,” Mom said, “but it’s out of our hands.” Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence 2022-03-22T00:00:00Z

The thing about Scythe Goddard’s parties is that it was very difficult not to have a good time, no matter how hard you tried. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

It feels like everything muddy, difficult, and dark inside me is coming up and out. Sparrow 2017-10-10T00:00:00Z

The Nazis suppressed the information, but it proved difficult to keep the mass murders a secret. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow 2005-04-01T00:00:00Z

Hidden behind those reflective lenses, Mr. Curtain’s expression was difficult to read. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

“Your mother and I were having a very difficult time. We all were. Your sisters too. We didn’t want you to—” He stopped. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 2012-02-21T00:00:00Z

Moron thought that might be difficult ’cause his dad’d bought it off a Brummie at Tewkesbury Market on Christmas Eve. Black Swan Green 2006-04-10T00:00:00Z

Even basic spells are difficult when one is not operating at full strength. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

It took him a few difficult and sometimes discouraging years, but eventually he was winning the majority of his games. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It’s a difficult concept to grasp, but the easiest way to approach space-time is through an analogy: space and time are like a gigantic rubber sheet. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

The most mysterious aspect of difficult science is the way it is done. The Lives of a Cell 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

A very difficult horse upon his arrival, he was now as tame as a kitten. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

I was then given a battery of increasingly difficult aptitude tests intended to measure my knowledge and abilities in every area that might conceivably be of use to my new employer. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

He practices the things he has been taught, though it is difficult to gauge the effectiveness of his illusions on his own. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

During the war, it was extremely difficult to get a telephone. The Autobiography of Malcolm X 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

In the first film, I found it quite difficult to ignore the camera as it was pointed at me. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

He pushed the blazing ivy pot to the other end of the table, closer to the piles of books and mail, making it even more difficult for them to see each other. Interpreter of Maladies 1999-05-22T00:00:00Z

This makes it more difficult for light from the star to escape, and the light appears dimmer and redder to an observer at a distance. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Irregularly shaped objects can be very difficult to measure. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea 2000-02-07T00:00:00Z

And on the last day, the bad days become so difficult to recall, because one way or another, she had made a life here, just as I had. Paper Towns 2008-10-16T00:00:00Z

They called him that to settle the difficult matter of rank. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

The darker it becomes, the more difficult it is to take your eyes off our flickering. The Hunger Games 2008-09-14T00:00:00Z

And when she met Aunty Onenu, she felt this more strongly: here was a woman easy to like bvit difficult to take seriously. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

She thought they had been dyed with basil and Annabella had told her how difficult the basil was and how badly it stained your hands. Gathering Blue 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Court’s ruling in Lyons makes it extremely difficult to challenge systemic race discrimination in law enforcement and obtain meaningful policy reform. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

She would never forget the rattle of the rain on the jailhouse roof, or the smell of wet wood, or the darkness that had saved them all; or how difficult it was not to cough. Tuck Everlasting 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

He always talked to me as if I were a child going through a difficult phase. The Diary of a Young Girl 1997-02-03T00:00:00Z

People found it difficult to say what was memorable or remarkable about his face—but all remembered it. Beowulf: A New Telling 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

If I reached out to the wrong person, it would be difficult to escape, and something about this man didn’t feel right. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

Starting a relationship under the best of circumstances is difficult. We Are the Ants 2016-01-19T00:00:00Z

It was not difficult for either of them to stand thus, for the first test which they had had to pass in archery was standing with the bow at arm’s length for half an hour. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

My tongue swelled so much that it was difficult to breathe through my mouth, and I noticed that it was becoming harder and harder to think clearly. Into Thin Air 1996-08-01T00:00:00Z

It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us. A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

These moth ideas were difficult to fix in my head, and the flames devoured them before I could focus on any one long enough to see it clearly. The Ugly One 2013-06-11T00:00:00Z

The speaker was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

I couldn’t help the whine in my voice, the tightness that closed my throat, making it difficult to speak without pain. When I Was Puerto Rican 1993-09-20T00:00:00Z

The only thing hard about it was the fact that he had me read the book so long ago, and it was difficult to remember. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 1999-02-01T00:00:00Z

“You see, I have in my possession a very special video, which would make your election to president very difficult.” Beauty Queens 2011-05-24T00:00:00Z

Any difficult crime he always referred to the state police: in fact, they wound up processing most of his arrests. The Milagro Beanfield War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Yes . .. you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before” — Harry’s heart leapt — “you would have done well in Slytherin —” Harry’s stomach plummeted. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to take deep breaths, so I take short, shallow ones. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

Life for us was already difficult, and then last year my sister was run over by a truck. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter 2017-10-17T00:00:00Z

“You are difficult, boy. Okay. So listen to me anyway. Listen to me on the matter of these two weeks, Parky. There is still some concern.” Native Speaker 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Tefu was always difficult, but from that point on he behaved much better. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“There are a number of challenges to bringing Styx here. You understand why this is difficult, right?” The Season of Styx Malone 2018-10-16T00:00:00Z

Everything I did felt heavy and difficult—drying the dishes, kneeling for evening prayers, even pulling down the sheets to get into bed. The Secret Life of Bees 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Cullivan, in appearance a cautious bank clerk with depleted hair and a face rather difficult to recall, agreed that outwardly he hadn’t changed much. In Cold Blood 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

They had been so difficult to control in the beginning; they had taken so much from Josiah. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

Here’s what I found difficult to accept: I had to choose between college and turning pro while talented male gymnasts got to turn pro at the end of college. Courage to Soar 2016-11-15T00:00:00Z

And convincing him to invite her to court—mostly by implying what might await him once she was out of her father’s household and without a chaperone—hadn’t been that difficult. Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

And what was it that was so difficult to leave behind? Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

The odors of the laboratory animals, dogs, monkeys, mice, spin me back into memories, and it is difficult to know whether I am experiencing a new sensation or recalling the past. Flowers for Algernon 1959-05-01T00:00:00Z

Dear Mrs. Brook I’m sorry about your difficult sister and the babies who are still inside of her causing trouble. Mockingbird 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

For example, Penelope had never before realized how difficult it was to explain the logic behind such common household paradoxes as: Standing on the floor is perfectly correct; standing upon the loveseat is not. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

Is that why you made it this difficult? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

She had a very long, very difficult climb ahead of her. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

If you live in a Western culture, it can be difficult to find recordings of non-Western folk music, since most Western listeners do not have a taste for it. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

Are there big singing leaps and lots of difficult runs or none? Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

Besides, their strange-sounding American names were hard to remember and difficult to pronounce. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents 1991-01-04T00:00:00Z

Civil war would mean the destruction of what the ANC stood for; with civil war racial peace would be more difficult than ever to achieve. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult for some teachers to see the skills that you have. Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago 1997-01-01T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t difficult to pour my identity into different vessels. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

“I find that difficult to believe. You went to all that trouble to make my life hell.” Here to Stay 2018-09-08T00:00:00Z

It wasn’t enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too. The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

Ladies’ arms draped with pocketbooks and men’s arms draped with coats formed a barrier as difficult to get through as barbed wire. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is incredibly difficult for me to tell this story. How Dare the Sun Rise 2017-05-16T00:00:00Z

It was surprisingly difficult to concentrate on the road while feeling his gaze on my face. Twilight 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z

She spoke little even when it was not so difficult. East of Eden 1952-09-01T00:00:00Z

Stump, an alpinist of world renown who died on Denali in 1992, had just completed a difficult new route on a nearby peak, the Mooses Tooth. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

The air currents dropped steeply earthward, making it difficult for Frightful to fly. Frightful's Mountain 2001-05-21T00:00:00Z

And still there had been more murders after this, three more, less difficult than the first had been but murders nonetheless. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

With only about two hundred kids in our class, it wasn’t a difficult task to manage, and like I said, Cade Hernandez had the ability to make anyone do whatever he wanted. 100 Sideways Miles 2014-09-02T00:00:00Z

Yet, although Venus is sometimes brighter and sometimes less bright in the sky, it was difficult to see the variation that either theory must predict. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“Stop being so difficult! You don’t have to tell the whole world everything!” The Strangers 2019-04-02T00:00:00Z

“Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?” The Lightning Thief 2005-07-01T00:00:00Z

Now late at night it was becoming difficult to recognize people, to remember their names. The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Grande,” my mother went to her and hugged her, “it is such a difficult task we ask you to do, but you are our last hope.” Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Luna didn’t have very many memories that were as tenacious as this one—her memory, typically, was a slippery thing, and difficult to pin down—and so she hung on to it. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

The Master and the Librarian were old friends and allies, and it was their habit, after a difficult episode, to take a glass of brantwijn and console each other. The Golden Compass 1995-07-01T00:00:00Z

“Always alone. Always misunderstood. Easy to turn bitter, make horrible mistakes. People are more difficult to work with than machines. And when you break a person, he can’t be fixed.” The Battle of the Labyrinth 2008-05-06T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to find it there, difficult for fingers accustomed to grasping the handle of a broadax to pick up an object as tiny as a needle. Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad 1955-01-01T00:00:00Z

The problems he’d warned of—and prioritized—over a decade earlier were persistently difficult to solve. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates 2010-04-27T00:00:00Z

I can’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for them. Finding Junie Kim 2021-05-04T00:00:00Z

I didn’t think it would be as difficult going to see Mr. Terupt the second time. Because of Mr. Terupt 2010-10-11T00:00:00Z

After three pages of reading, it would be difficult to stay awake. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

The British were coming back, but once again Ran Laurie, with his narrow-bladed oar, was having a difficult time getting enough of a catch to help power his shell through the wind and waves. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

Such is the fear of being accused of writing Whig or teleological history that it is difficult to find an historian making simple and elementary points of this sort. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“I’m sure that it was rather perceptive and incisive, whatever it was. I would imagine that it is rather difficult to comprehend her assaults upon the mother tongue.” A Confederacy of Dunces 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Despite the difficult weather and the erratic performance of boat number one, things were progressing very well; the time trials were promising for so early in the season. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics 2014-05-27T00:00:00Z

But as to just how much that incident contributed to the large changes our relationship subsequently underwent, it is very difficult now to say. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

Conant played seven of the most difficult passages in the trombone repertoire. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

“The line between truth and myth is sometimes difficult to see.” Moon Over Manifest 2010-10-12T00:00:00Z

Late at night, she rocks on her wicker swing as Javier sleeps, and wonders why it is so difficult to be happy. Dreaming in Cuban 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

“But it is very difficult. It does not flow from me naturally.” Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West 2013-03-26T00:00:00Z

If all of this sounds difficult, believe me, you don’t know the half of it. The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

Despite the work I'd done assisting people on death row, I questioned how prepared I was to do really difficult things. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

Applying old mathematics, in fact, is often more difficult than discovering new mathematics. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Just as she had feared, however, Fabyan was a difficult boss. The Woman All Spies Fear 2021-10-19T00:00:00Z

Mama said, “This is going to be a long day, Comfort. Aunt Florentine was like a mama to your daddy—she practically raised him and your aunt Goldie all by herself. Last night was difficult...” Each Little Bird That Sings 2005-03-01T00:00:00Z

Given that he wasn’t winning, or even running passably well, it’s very difficult to defend it. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was, in fact, quite difficult to lie to a hawk. Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

She falters frequently, finding it difficult to articulate precisely what she means. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

Resisting Houston’s call, not following the nerve center of the space program across the country, was difficult for Katherine and many of her Langley colleagues. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z

Japanese musical aesthetics are difficult to apply in the classroom. Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

It is perhaps difficult for white South Africans, with an ingrained prejudice against communism, to understand why experienced African politicians so readily accepted Communists as their friends. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

When the knot in his throat became so oppressive that it was difficult for him to breathe, Aureliano Segundo visited Pilar Ternera to see if she knew of some herb that would give him relief. One Hundred Years of Solitude 1967-05-30T00:00:00Z

In the era of affirmative action it became more and more difficult to distinguish the middle-class victim of social oppression from the lower-class victim. Hunger of Memory 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

With changes in travel, communication, and mass media, the world had accelerated; things now happened so fast it was sometimes difficult to keep up with them. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“I wasn’t trying to be difficult before. I haven’t thought of myself as Devan in years. I left that name behind me long ago.” The Name of the Wind 2007-03-27T00:00:00Z

Some dates, such as those for the rise of chiefdoms, are more difficult to infer from the archaeological record than are dates of artifacts like pottery or metal tools. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

Kate was making it difficult by slipping on things that had spilled from her bucket. The Mysterious Benedict Society 2008-04-01T00:00:00Z

One reason the Masks were so difficult to trace was because their motives were unclear: they weren’t interested in drugs, and they stole for sport rather than greed. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

I— For the moment it was too difficult to go on. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

Finally, her father spoke again, hesitantly, as if his tongue found it difficult to form the words. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

It underpinned the more difficult “quadrivium”—arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy— that students went on to learn; all seven subjects taken in toto being the so-called liberal arts. Words Like Loaded Pistols 2011-10-20T00:00:00Z

Because everyone wants to be there, horses usually bunch up by the rail, so closely that hips and shoulders rub and stirrups clink off each other, making maneuvering difficult or impossible. Seabiscuit: An American Legend 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is more difficult to be certain of the exact tuning of each note within a tetrachord. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

Stone was going through a difficult time in her personal life as the women’s movement was fracturing into separate organizations in 1869. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

Accurate numbers are difficult to estimate, but it seems probable that the Library contained half a million volumes, each a handwritten papyrus scroll. Cosmos 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Shusgis was in his fifties, therefore his “long ago of course,” and it certainly was difficult to imagine him as a young mother. The Left Hand of Darkness 1969-03-01T00:00:00Z

They were both red in the face and found looking at each other difficult. Lord of the Flies 1954-09-17T00:00:00Z

She was as flexible as Gumby, so restraining her was difficult. Three Little Words: A Memoir 2007-12-27T00:00:00Z

The puzzle is why Ibn al-Haytham’s example was not followed more extensively, for it would be difficult to overestimate the significance of his achievements. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

“I didn’t mean to frighten you. I don’t like talking to people. It’s very—difficult for me.” How to Disappear Completely 2020-04-28T00:00:00Z

But it was difficult to prevent him from hearing things because, as you all know, rabbits are very good at keeping secrets from other animals, but no good at keeping secrets from each other. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult decision—the Yellins had headed enforcement in Florin for generations, and they took their work more than seriously. The Princess Bride 1973-11-01T00:00:00Z

The corner of Dr. Calvin’s lip twitched, “I was afraid you would. It’s difficult to work with you, Herbie. You’re always a step ahead of me.” I, Robot 1950-12-02T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to carry enough feed for the horses, and Jones feared a passing cavalry patrol would hear their horses, which were hungry, restless, and noisy. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

This was the difficult part, because the Book expressed itself in such an enigmatic style. The Amber Spyglass 2000-10-10T00:00:00Z

Moreover, if this trade-off is not acknowledged, there is a tendency to deny or cover up the inevitable defective items, which makes the job of quality control that much more difficult. Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It was a boat-house originally,” he said, his voice constrained again, difficult, the voice of someone who is uncomfortable about his subject. Rebecca 1938-08-01T00:00:00Z

It’s extremely difficult to concentrate on Oscar in my bedroom because: Oscar is in my bedroom! I'll Give You the Sun 2014-09-16T00:00:00Z

In the absence of any real intercommunication between one part of Oceania and another, this was not difficult to arrange. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

If this is too difficult, remain on the “A.” Music and the Child 2016-06-14T00:00:00Z

And the names of the people involved were very difficult to pronounce. The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

As I began to read, her body relaxed into mine, until it was difficult to tell where she left off and I began. Hattie Big Sky 2006-09-26T00:00:00Z

Against a former World Champion who was known to be one of the most difficult to defeat, Bobby had won five games, drawn three, and lost one, for a total score of 6½–2½. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

“It’s not as difficult as it looks,” he said. Stormbreaker 2000-09-04T00:00:00Z

“The spelling of my country estate is a little difficult for those unacquainted with the language.” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

It shouldn’t be this difficult to remember who one is, it thought. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

It was more difficult for Robin to go down the circular stair from the top of the keep than it had been to go up. The Door in the Wall 1949-01-03T00:00:00Z

The less resourceful Neanderthals found it increasingly difficult to feed themselves. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

“There were far more factionless than we ever anticipated. It’s difficult to get an accurate population count on a scattered population, after all.” Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Dr. Poirot has the annoying tendency to nod, even when I don’t speak, which makes it difficult for me to know if I’ve answered the question or not. Challenger Deep 2015-04-15T00:00:00Z

Once I notice this pattern, it becomes difficult not to pay attention to it, but I try to focus on wolfing down my enchiladas. Will Grayson, Will Grayson 2010-04-06T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to see with only one good eye. Stone Fox 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult, as an adult, to watch Blue’s Clues and not wonder how this show could ever represent an improvement over Sesame Street. The Tipping Point 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Beowulf Incorrigible! Cassiopeia Incorrigible! Three more unwieldy names would be difficult to imagine. But, as the saying goes, ‘Nothing good was ever learned from eavesdropping, so mind your business and let others mind theirs.’ The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

They were difficult to see because they were all white. Stone Fox 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to tell who was the more surprised, Matthias and his party or the rat sentries. Redwall 1986-10-23T00:00:00Z

“That could be difficult. We share a cabin.” A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

“The terrain was too difficult to navigate and the cities too spread out for it to be sensible to live there after the war. Now it’s wild country.” Allegiant 2013-10-22T00:00:00Z

Three camaradas were assigned the difficult task of clearing the path of vines and dense foliage. Death on the River of Doubt 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

I thought about trying to find an assistant warden but realized that that might be difficult, and anyway, an assistant warden would be unlikely to tell an officer he was wrong in front of me. Just Mercy 2014-10-21T00:00:00Z

They need never know how difficult it had been, or how much it had cost her. A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

This wasn’t that difficult, now that I had some money. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

Perhaps the poor chap finds it as difficult to live backward as you do.” The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

It’s good to know that difficult times can bring out the best in people. Dry 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

That is, perhaps, why they find it difficult to survive in life-threatening situations. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

I'm having a difficult time finishing my sentences. Girl in the Blue Coat 2016-04-05T00:00:00Z

It is difficult to imagine Patria unmarried without a baby on her lap, but Dedd’s memory is playing dolls with the past. In the Time of the Butterflies 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“Life on a ship for so long can be difficult. My primary role is to help administer the tonics, thus stabilizing any mood the Collective may encounter.” The Last Cuentista 2021-10-12T00:00:00Z

There were also glimpses of his finding the game of football a difficult struggle. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Everything was becoming more difficult, and there was less for him to do. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

It was often difficult to visualize anything concrete that was not dulled by memories of Arize and Aunty Ifeka and Uncle Mbaezi, that did not feel like life being lived on suspended time. Half of a Yellow Sun 2006-09-12T00:00:00Z

Like others there he’d passed a difficult night with no electricity or heat. Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel 1994-09-12T00:00:00Z

His expression is neutral, and he stands behind the glow of firelight, where he is difficult to see. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

“Oh dear, this is going to be difficult,” Milo whispered to Tock. The Phantom Tollbooth 1961-09-01T00:00:00Z

And so it was not so difficult to see why Father Mike decided to flee his marriage, and why he needed money . . . . . . none of which, however, could Milton read in his brother-in- law’s eyes. Middlesex: A Novel 2002-06-05T00:00:00Z

Summer before last, on a sweltering August Sunday, when she was secluded here, a difficult incident had taken place. In Cold Blood 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

I put too much peanut butter in, and my teeth find it difficult to wade through and locate the banana chunks. Saints and Misfits 2017-06-13T00:00:00Z

Today flying is a lot safer, especially on airliners, but fighters have always been more difficult, especially in the early jet days. Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

His face was handsome, but also harsh—as difficult to look at as a spotlight. The House of Hades 2013-10-08T00:00:00Z

“Jenny, I wanted to tell you, but it was too difficult to explain.” The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

It became more difficult to see, as if there were a fog rising, and just when the horses seemed to be nearly upon her, her lantern went out, leaving her momentarily blind. Ash 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

A gifted physicist, Fuchs was well liked by his fellow scientists, though they found him difficult to get to know. Bomb 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z

She found it difficult to speak with the poison in her system. Siddhartha 1922-01-01T00:00:00Z

The answers to that question are just as difficult to believe as the answers to the newscasters poll. The Tipping Point 2000-01-01T00:00:00Z

It should come as no surprise that food production never arose in large areas of the globe, for ecological reasons that still make it difficult or impossible there today. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

It made her laugh to remember how difficult they had been when she started. Son 2012-10-02T00:00:00Z

“It is very difficult to eat cake when you are toothless. The world in general becomes a difficult place without teeth.” Louisiana's Way Home 2018-10-02T00:00:00Z

The image of Lady Constance’s stuffed head mounted on the wall was disturbing and difficult to shake off. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling 2011-01-25T00:00:00Z

It is difficult for me to sit still for more than twenty minutes at a stretch, so I used to interrupt my tanning sessions with walks to the pier. Me Talk Pretty One Day 2000-05-02T00:00:00Z

If this were true then it would become extremely difficult to see how historians could avoid writing Whig history. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

Finding it difficult to pass, I set Otto on the ground and pivoted, peering into the greenery. Endangered 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

It was pretty difficult to get online without using a network they owned and operated. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

Though difficult to read at first, it depicts Christ at the Last Judgment, when every soul is weighed. History of Art, Volume 1 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

Why did this happen to us in these difficult times? A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier 2007-02-13T00:00:00Z

“A difficult challenge, but I can try my best.” The Graveyard Book 2008-09-30T00:00:00Z

“It’s difficult to hide when you travel with an entire circus, you know.” The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

It is almost impossible to say anything that can console you at this difficult hour and remove the deep clouds of disappointment which are floating in your mental skies. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It would not be difficult to find her; he already knew she lived in Baltimore. Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

“That will make it difficult. She was coming north, you said. Was the lake to her east or to her west?” A Dance with Dragons 2011-07-12T00:00:00Z

Early on a difficult climb, especially a difficult solo climb, you constantly feel the abyss pulling at your back. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

In the deep gray of a motel room dawn, with my imagination in overdrive, it was difficult not to confuse her with the dead girl in the dream. Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet 2007-04-30T00:00:00Z

The island had one hospital, and it was difficult to segregate us from the general prisoners while we were there. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

The testing of chemicals for a sterilizing effect is much more difficult than the testing of chemical poisons. Silent Spring 1962-09-27T00:00:00Z

Twenty minutes, an hour—it was difficult to judge. 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

The illustration of the child asleep in his bed beneath the stars faces outward, but it is difficult to tell if the child’s dreams are peaceful or restless. The Night Circus 2011-09-13T00:00:00Z

Even when not barred by law from holding specific jobs, formerly incarcerated and convicted people in Chicago find it extraordinarily difficult to find employers who will hire them, regardless of the nature of their conviction. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

It is difficult for me every single day. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age 2014-09-23T00:00:00Z

Self-conscious writers are also apt to whinge about how what they’re about to do is so terribly difficult and complicated and controversial: What are intractable conflicts? The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

The glare hurt our eyes and, along with the dust, made it difficult to see. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

She didn’t want to be thinking like that, which of course made it all the more difficult to stop. Book Scavenger 2015-06-02T00:00:00Z

Salvador had been correct in thinking that getting into the United States to work would be difficult. Lupita Mañana 1981-03-21T00:00:00Z

“Because we are humans, and humans are notoriously difficult,” said Mae. Willodeen 2021-09-07T00:00:00Z

“You know, you really have been making things terribly difficult for Colonel Cathcart,” he observed with flip good humor, as though the fact did not displease him at all. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z

Managing the multitudes in such a limited space would have been difficult under the best of circumstances, but the convoluted Jim Crow transportation laws turned the commute into a gauntlet for all riders. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z

It’s difficult to walk because it’s difficult to breathe, but somehow I manage. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

“Perhaps things would not be so difficult if he believed in the golden carp,” he said softly. Bless Me, Ultima 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aristaeus must seize him and chain him, a very difficult task, as Menelaus on his way home from Troy found. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes 1942-01-01T00:00:00Z

Serenity is staring at me, squinting like she’s trying to solve a puzzle or a difficult math equation. I Can Make This Promise 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z

Tendai found it difficult to make friends with people he might not see again for months. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm 1994-04-01T00:00:00Z

This august building was hardly difficult for me to locate, its looming spire being ever-visible wherever one goes in Salisbury. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

At the same time, it is only fair to point out that my task in this instance had been of an unusually difficult order. The Remains of the Day 1989-05-01T00:00:00Z

From 1646 Torricelli’s experiment was widely performed, even though mercury was expensive and it continued to be difficult to get sufficiently sturdy long tubes sealed at one end. The Invention of Science 2015-09-17T00:00:00Z

That night there were only eight players, making it more difficult for each to contend with the master than if there’d been scores of players, who would have slowed Pavey’s progress. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

“That is more difficult. The English, they do not stab. You are right there. I incline to the view that someone else dropped the pipe cleaner—and did so to incriminate the long-legged Englishman.” Murder on the Orient Express 1934-01-01T00:00:00Z

He told those seven new-free people ’bout what difficult days were ahead. Elijah of Buxton 2007-08-06T00:00:00Z

But a trip like that would be very difficult for Akeer. A Long Walk to Water 2010-01-01T00:00:00Z

Being an Anabaptist minister in the American Army was difficult enough under the best of circumstances; without dogma, it was almost intolerable. Catch-22 1961-11-10T00:00:00Z

The eleventh labor was the most difficult of all so far. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes 1942-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to see because the roiling surface had yet to recover its tranquillity, and the turbulence was driven by the lingering spirit of her fury. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

In the era of mass lynching, it was so difficult to find who, specifically, served as executioner that such deaths were often reported by the press as having happened “at the hands of persons unknown.” Between the World and Me 2015-07-14T00:00:00Z

“What’s the idea? Do you want to make it difficult for me to find the place again?” hissed the Magpie. Inkheart 2003-09-23T00:00:00Z

All three of them started to laugh, and once started, it was difficult to stop. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2007-07-21T00:00:00Z

Roman's observation underscores how difficult it is for those of us preoccupied with the humdrum concerns of adulthood to recall how forcefully we were once buffeted by the passions and longings of youth. Into the Wild 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

After a long night of difficult dreams he couldn’t quite remember in the morning, Joseph and Frankie prepared for Albert’s funeral, which they’d been planning together for days. The Marvels 2015-09-15T00:00:00Z

The wind was blowing from the west, and it was difficult to be certain but he thought he heard the low hum of an engine. Ceremony: 1977-03-01T00:00:00Z

To this all agreed, but their retreat was now difficult. The Fellowship of the Ring 1954-07-29T00:00:00Z

With fuel fumes filling the cockpit and making it difficult to breathe, there was only one chance to land the plane. A Thousand Sisters 2019-01-22T00:00:00Z

Just getting to the island itself was difficult, and added to that were the harsh rituals of the prison, the undoubted indignities of the warders, and the impersonality of the contact. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It will be difficult for you,” said Arthur. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

It is difficult, of course, to be precise. Grendel 1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

These unexpected jolts from Larsen were difficult to prepare for, but Bobby’s continuous study of the old masters left him relatively forearmed. Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It was not difficult to choose between these circles of suffering—the sea, the beach, the front. Atonement 2001-09-20T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to make out from this distance, but there seemed to be something atop each one. Strange the Dreamer 2017-03-28T00:00:00Z

I knew it had been difficult for Chiron to tell me. The Sea of Monsters 2006-04-01T00:00:00Z

Studies on mobility over generations are notoriously difficult, because they require researchers to match the earnings records of parents with those of their children. Class Matters 2005-09-02T00:00:00Z

African- Americans could now register to vote without undergoing ridiculous qualification games, taking difficult exams, experiencing Klan intimidation, and paying “blacks only” poll taxes. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It may not be a coincidence that Greene, like many scientists since Galileo, is a lucid expositor of difficult ideas, because the ideal of classic prose is congenial to the worldview of the scientist. The Sense of Style 2014-09-04T00:00:00Z

He was greatly relied upon by the Threarah and had more than once carried out difficult orders with a good deal of courage. Watership Down: A Novel 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

He asks her to read lines from the mother of the golden boy, a difficult role for any high schooler because she will have to play the part of an adult. Drama High 2013-09-26T00:00:00Z

At the camp, it was difficult to see anything. The Alchemist 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Life on the frontier was difficult for both women and men, and communities in the West attempted to lure women there with the promise of political equality. Votes for Women! 2018-02-13T00:00:00Z

It took a while for the commands and quirks of the game to come back to me, but once they did, the game wasn’t that difficult to solve. Ready Player One: A Novel 2011-08-16T00:00:00Z

“Dobby has come to tell you, sir . . . it is difficult, sir . Dobby wonders where to be- gin. “Sit down,” said Harry politely, pointing at the bed. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

I have realized that part of being Dauntless is being willing to make things more difficult for yourself in order to be self-sufficient. Divergent 2011-04-25T00:00:00Z

“But there was only one dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist.” Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 1999-07-08T00:00:00Z

To do at all had proved too difficult. The Once and Future King 1958-01-01T00:00:00Z

Nailer’s shoulder was tender and inflamed from all the activity and it made climbing difficult. Ship Breaker 2010-05-01T00:00:00Z

“A lot of people don’t realize that children at a studio like mine can already perform more difficult tricks than many, many Broadway professionals can. Even adults. Isn’t that right, Shawn?” Better Nate Than Ever 2013-02-05T00:00:00Z

And the guards said that, on the difficult route they had chosen, they had not seen another living soul. Slaughterhouse-Five 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

We ate, finding it difficult to believe we did so. Nectar in a Sieve 1954-01-01T00:00:00Z

They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human Transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the color of their own eyebrows. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2005-07-16T00:00:00Z

“Why is it making this so difficult?” grumbled Mini. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

It was difficult: She was a lot bigger than he was. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 1998-07-02T00:00:00Z

Gardner found the transition to Permian enormously difficult. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Friday afternoon was going to be difficult enough without April’s being in one of her touchy moods. The Egypt Game 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

We’re headed the long way down the driveway, past the hibiscus hedge, Mami cautious in her spiked heels and tight dress that make walking on the dirt shortcut path too difficult. Before We Were Free 2002-08-13T00:00:00Z

The world was sick, life was difficult and here there seemed new hope, here there seemed to be a message, comforting, mild, full of fine promises. Siddhartha 1922-01-01T00:00:00Z

Scythe Goddard loved to make it difficult for Rowan in these training sessions and always judged him harshly when he didn’t rise to some imaginary level of perfection. Scythe 2016-11-22T00:00:00Z

The ground became more broken and walking was more difficult, but Gollum seemed in no way troubled. The Two Towers 1954-11-11T00:00:00Z

“Your extraordinary skill and genius at the most difficult of games is a source of pride to me and to all who stand in the light of your remarkable accomplishments.” Endgame 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to sit, to stand, to lay down. Zeitoun 2009-07-15T00:00:00Z

Snowball did not deny that to build it would be a difficult business. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story 1945-08-17T00:00:00Z

“Nigerians can be so obsequious. We are a confident people but we are so obsequious. It’s not difficult for us to be insincere.” Americanah 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

“You are a difficult case. But don’t give up hope. Everything is cured sooner or later. In the end we shall shoot you.” 1984 1949-06-08T00:00:00Z

The voice was pleasant enough, though there was, Antain realised, a bit of a growl, buried so deeply in the voice that it was difficult to hear. The Girl Who Drank the Moon 2016-08-09T00:00:00Z

“My father needs someone to aid the empire—someone to help him maneuver around difficult people.” Throne of Glass 2012-08-07T00:00:00Z

It would be difficult to spot a small rowboat floating in the river. Chasing Lincoln's Killer 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

While such conduct is deplorable, it is not difficult to understand. The New Jim Crow 2010-01-05T00:00:00Z

Rather than heralding a new era of easy living, the Agricultural Revolution left farmers with lives generally more difficult and less satisfying than those of foragers. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

But the whole history around them had made it difficult for me to ask. Never Let Me Go 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was a difficult trip back, with his belongings slung over his shoulder and the blackened, twisted remains of the automaton straining his arms and back. The Invention of Hugo Cabret 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

The government wanted to control the movements of all Africans, and such control was far more difficult in freehold urban townships, where blacks could own property, and people came and went as they pleased. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Although we never explicitly talked about it, I imagine this must have been a difficult experience for him, especially with his quiet nature. While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement 2011-02-01T00:00:00Z

A trailer is difficult to maneuver on mountain roads, is impossible and often illegal to park, and is subject to many restrictions. Travels with Charley in Search of America 1962-01-01T00:00:00Z

I would fall into a daze, not difficult for someone in such an advanced state of lethargy to begin with. Life of Pi 2001-09-01T00:00:00Z

The colder it gets, the more difficult it is not to worry. We Are Okay 2017-02-14T00:00:00Z

It has been a difficult month: a rotation in neonatal intensive care. The Poisonwood Bible 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

It was difficult to argue, since our only remaining options were either giving up or running into a hail of gunfire. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 2011-06-07T00:00:00Z

“I’m sure it’s very difficult. Especially after a long night of... trees. I still think you can help us, however.” Uglies 2005-02-08T00:00:00Z

Under the circumstances, it was difficult to keep tempers down. Long Walk to Freedom 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

“It’s extremely difficult not to immediately answer questions while under the truth serum,” she says. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

In the next, a heavy downpour of rain made the trunks difficult to see. Aru Shah and the End of Time 2018-03-27T00:00:00Z

The most difficult test, in her opinion, was the isolation chamber where she remained in total darkness. Women in Space 2014-02-01T00:00:00Z

They can be difficult to perform correctly and are avoided in music for beginners. Understanding Basic Music Theory 2018-01-28T00:00:00Z

“Though she will not complain, I know that a pain in her side often troubles her, making her breathing difficult.” Ophelia 2006-10-31T00:00:00Z

They were hard to read and even more difficult to understand. Holes 1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

People who have had highly abusive childhoods also do well; like stroke victims, they’ve had to practice the difficult art of reading minds, in their case the minds of alcoholic or violent parents. Blink 2005-01-11T00:00:00Z

She moves at a brisk pace, and it’s difficult to keep up with her. Insurgent 2012-05-01T00:00:00Z

His fever lingered on, his cough worsened, and climbing stairs was difficult, but in Rush’s mind his treatment had produced yet another cure. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 2003-06-23T00:00:00Z

But the West Computers’ competence silenced most of the dissent; up close, it was difficult to object to good educations and mild middle-class manners, even if they came wrapped in brown skin. Hidden Figures 2016-09-06T00:00:00Z