toughen
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.
See Examples For:
As the demonstrators toughen their demands, the standoff with the government has escalated.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Hurley’s brutal training sessions do more than toughen his team up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
A bipartisan bill released Thursday would toughen penalties against preparers who improperly handle returns.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
The spokesman also said the independent review would explore "how we can go even further to toughen up the safeguards in place against illicit money from abroad", including cryptocurrencies.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
She had spent so much time trying to toughen up these two.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
The Sixers’ schedule toughens up next week with a game against Chicago, the 12th team in the East.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
The proposed housing bill also toughens eviction regulations.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2023
The US central bank has announced its biggest interest rate increase in more than two decades as it toughens its fight against fast rising prices.
From BBC ● May 4, 2022
They are challenging to get rid of, too: The eggs are protected inside the mother’s body, which toughens after death into a cyst that can survive in the soil for years.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 27, 2022
The only thing that changed is that he calls me Space Boy twice as often, which only toughens my resolve not to press the button.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
One bone of contention is a suspension clause toughened by parliament that would scrap favourable tariff conditions for US exporters, should the United States later breach the terms of the deal.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
A significant majority of the schools which responded said they banned phones during the school day, with many having toughened their policies in recent years, and most wanting a clear all-Wales policy.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
The windows, vulnerable to shattering in extreme heat, are made of a toughened glass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
The news comes ahead of language requirements for citizenship being toughened for everyone else under new immigration rules from January 1.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
“We’ve been through hell and back, kid. I know it. But it’s toughened us up, right? We can do what it takes to live through one more challenge.”
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
McVay understands that the “old-school way” of toughening and preparing players for a season can be achieved without “killing us on the field,” Adams said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Several nations are toughening up age restrictions on social media platforms as concerns grow over excessive screen time for children and their exposure to harmful content online.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
Ministers say the DRC has not made changes required under the toughening up of the UK's asylum rules announced in November.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
Legal scholars, however, say the recent criticism of provisional sentences ignores more than a decade of legislation and jurisprudence aimed at toughening up a legal system that can take years to reach a final verdict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
At night, with Crane-man’s careful ministrations, the wound on Tree-ear’s hand would begin to heal, the tender pink layer toughening slightly.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
