tough
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch took to Reddit to urge him to "come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
"He is very tough, but an army general has to be tough," a high-placed Ukrainian official told AFP after his 2024 appointment as commander-in-chief.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Beijing’s tough talk last week reads more like managed theater than a genuine pivot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It’s been a really tough time,” said the midfielder, who broke the World Cup record for completed passes in the tournament with 747.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Hard as it was for him to enjoy my company, it was harder for me not to enjoy his: He was still tough, straight, and blunt as a butcher.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
He’s a guy that toughs it out with a smile on his face, and that smile is very disarming to someone else.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2023
The entrepreneur, who for security reasons asked that neither he nor the specific nature of his business be identified, initially thought the calls were coming from neighborhood toughs pretending to have links to crime groups.
From Reuters ● Oct. 29, 2022
Mr. Lee joined the police at age 19 after a childhood encounter with local street toughs instilled in him a sense of law and order, he once recounted.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2022
Mr. Williams was celebrated for delivering nuanced performances as swaggering street toughs, charming family men and smooth-talking gangsters.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 6, 2021
Since there was no applause from Fern and me the first time around, she started up again, as zombielike as she could, to imitate the toughs standing around outside the pool hall.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
However, unlike in 2023 and earlier this year, it’s been tougher to quickly dislodge 5% 30-year Treasury yields once they hit, as the below chart shows.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Laid-off tech workers say it is getting tougher to find their next job.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Treasury has mounted a tougher crackdown on so-called shadow fleet ships, front companies and buyers that facilitate Iran’s oil sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
In March, Environment Minister Andrew Muir said reforms could see NI Water face tougher punishments for issues in the waterways.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“And it might be tougher than you think. The resin might work different on lizards.”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Writing on social media, Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf MS Parry-Jones said threats of violence against politicians were a "direct attack on democracy and needs the toughest response".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
They were my first audience and my toughest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
And new data reveals the toughest markets where homeowners are finding it hard to sell their house.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, USC missed Watkins dearly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Finding the work too easy, he transferred to Harvard and loaded up on the toughest math and physics courses available.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Vocabulary lists containing tough
