variants
also toughy
as in tough
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
after numerous suspensions, the school toughies were finally expelled for gang activities on campus
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toughie
Other toughies are at the not-so-soft Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, the revenge trip to New England in Week 15 and the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Week 17.
—
Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
And special days call for special grids, such as this set of six toughies that were originally shelved but have remained in our hearts.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Extra time may be spent looking for that toughie that was present just a few days ago.
—Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 15 Dec. 2017
Another cold-weather toughie is Alaska's red flat bark beetle, which, under lab conditions, can survive cooling down to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 10 Dec. 2016
The surprises come from Rachel McAdams, who holds her own as a wise-cracking toughie, and Peña, who defrosts from macho pride mode with low-key grace.
—Hugh Hart, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2008
Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
And special days call for special grids, such as this set of six toughies that were originally shelved but have remained in our hearts.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Extra time may be spent looking for that toughie that was present just a few days ago.
—Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 15 Dec. 2017
Another cold-weather toughie is Alaska's red flat bark beetle, which, under lab conditions, can survive cooling down to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 10 Dec. 2016
The surprises come from Rachel McAdams, who holds her own as a wise-cracking toughie, and Peña, who defrosts from macho pride mode with low-key grace.
—Hugh Hart, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2008
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughie
Noun
-
Doing so with a CVS receipt-long injury list is all kinds of tough.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The surge coincides with his tough on crime takeover of DC.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All colors change under different lights, but white is one of the biggest offenders due to its highly reflective quality.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
-
This approach will ensure that this tool is aimed at giving the worst offenders a financial incentive to operate by the same set of rules as the rest of us.—
Wes Burdine,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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To suggest that another candidate’s supporters are criminals — particularly when that candidate is, by all measures, poised to win at least a plurality of votes in the city — does not seem like a recipe for earning New Yorkers’ support.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Binance also lacked protocols — standard for financial services companies — to report transactions for money laundering risks, according to the Justice Department, and employees were well aware that such an oversight would invite criminals to the platform.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For me personally, Parkinson’s is a bully.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
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That was a very—that was a very big, big, strong bully.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This haunting film was also his first collaboration with Hellboy’s Ron Perlman, who plays a thug out to get the beetle for his rich uncle.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
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In The Big Lebowski, thugs mistake the titular slacker (Bridges) for the wealthy Jeffrey Lebowski, sending him on a wild investigation with his pal Walter (John Goodman) into a ransom plot involving Lebowski’s young wife (Tara Reid).—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toughie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughie. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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