hard to come by

hard to come by

Difficult to possess, obtain, or acquire. Steady work is hard to come by in this economy. I found academic success hard to come by when I was younger because I had such a hard time focusing. A: "Have you been keeping cool on these 90 degree days?" B: "I wish. I work outside, and shade is hard to come by."

See also: by, come, hard, to

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