toughen up
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.
The union boss said he supported proposals to scrap short sentences for some offenders and toughen up community orders supervised by probation officers.
From BBC • May 9, 2025
I learnt pretty early on that I had to be resilient and toughen up a bit.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025
Would you say you use beautiful melodies to soften an acerbic lyric or use acerbic lyrics to toughen up a beautiful melody?
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024
It said low-interest shareholder loans should not be excluded from the scope of the rules, and that changes made in February to toughen up the regulations also breached competition law.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024
Once I even caught him talking to them, telling this sickly-looking fern that it better toughen up if it wanted to make it in the world.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
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