The phrase "a step harder" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is slightly more difficult than a previous level or standard.
Example: "This puzzle is a step harder than the last one we solved together."
Alternatives: "a bit more challenging" or "slightly more difficult".
Whether Mr. Bloomberg was seriously contemplating such a step was hard to determine (he eventually remained neutral).
On Monday it certified Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory, a step that emboldened hard-line officials to warn of a harsher crackdown if protests continued.
Combined with the recent California measure to reduce sentences for those committing non-violent crimes, which are often drug related, the effort could be a step away from hard line positions leftover from the heyday of the War on Drugs.
Combined with the recent California mesaure to reduce sentences for those committing non-violent crimes, which are often drug related, the effort could be a step away from hard line positions leftover from the heyday of the War on Drugs.
Mr. Whitaker and 11 urban planning students tackled many of these issues in a report, "Next Steps, Hard Choices," that calls for restoring most streets across the site, with seven office buildings along Vesey and Church Streets.
While Mr. Moynihan has not ruled out putting the Countrywide unit into bankruptcy, such a step would make it harder for healthy divisions of the company to borrow, Mr. Kotowski of Oppenheimer warned.
The House speaker, Dennis Hastert, has allowed the measure to be attached to a "taxpayers' bill of rights," a step that makes it harder for lawmakers to turn it down.
That is crucial, because an involuntary debt revamping would be seen by creditors as a default — a step Greece and Europe are trying hard to avoid.
This is important as an involuntary restructuring would be seen by creditors as a default and would trigger credit default swaps — a step Europe and Greece are trying hard to avoid.
