Word of the Day 08/15/21 Hardscrabble

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Hardscrabble (adjective)
hardscrabble [ hahrd-skrab-uhl ]

adjective
1. providing or yielding meagerly in return for much effort; demanding or unrewarding: the hardscrabble existence of mountainside farmers.

Origin: An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; hard + scrabble

HOW TO USE HARDSCRABBLE IN A SENTENCE
I didn’t have a hardscrabble upbringing in the sense of deep poverty.
ROGER FERGUSON, CEO OF TIAA, ON WHY YOU SHOULDN’T WATCH THE WILD STOCK MARKET ALL DAY|EBEN SHAPIRO|OCTOBER 11, 2020|TIME

Their harrowing escape to Erbil has ended in a precarious and hardscrabble existence.
CHURCH BELLS FALL SILENT IN MOSUL AS IRAQ’S CHRISTIANS FLEE|ANDREW DORAN, DREW BOWLING|JUNE 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But this hardscrabble, prairie town, with its population of 5,000 people, cast its charm on Ballantine.
DEATH IN THE HEARTLAND: WHAT HAPPENED TO STEVEN HAATAJA?|TIM TEEMAN|MARCH 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

For many fans, her hardscrabble youth and rough-and-tumble style were viewed as endearing strengths.
ESPN’S ‘THE PRICE OF GOLD’ REVISITS THE TONYA HARDING AND NANCY KERRIGAN SCANDAL|AMY ZIMMERMAN|JANUARY 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Now YOU come up with a sentence (or fic? or graphic?) that best illustrates the word.