tough guy

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.

“Steve’s a good kid. He made a bad decision. But if you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game, for a blockout, for a rebound,” said Cronin afterward.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth really wants you to think he’s a tough guy.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2025

"It is possible, but extremely unlikely, Cuomo can catch Mamdani," said Lincoln Mitchell, a political science professor at Columbia University, saying the former governor's "tough guy persona" dates from another era.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

“Don’t ever say what you said,” the commander in chief snarled before boasting about how he wasn’t a chicken and was actually a tough guy.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

‘Yes, but -’ ‘We have to believe in Leo. There is no way he would die so easily. He’s a tough guy.’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan