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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughie
Noun
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Williams is already Beale Street jerky tough and looks like a plug-and-play 3-and-D wing.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
11 Apr. 2024
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When a set of tortuous toughs relocate to the neighborhood, his temperament shifts and the scenes increasingly unravel the inner workings of his shaken psyche.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Malik revealed that his goal was to practice law, specifically focusing on criminal law and personal injury and criminal.—
Francesca Gariano,
People.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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In a recent spree of clemency for white collar criminals, President Trump has pardoned Utah entrepreneur Trevor Milton, who was convicted in 2022 of misleading investors in his hydrogen and electric truck company Nikola.—
Erin Alberty,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Not for the first time, the violence of a bullying threat is directly proportional to the vulnerability that’s been exposed in the bully.—
Daniel Mendelsohn,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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Trump’s habit of threatening tariffs to bully other nations into cooperation with his policy goals, then retreating, then threatening again and sometimes actually imposing stiff levies, has unnerved investors, throwing the stock market into a period of volatility.—
Hank Tucker,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Jesse, understandably, has become more defensive about antisemitism since he was brutally attacked by thugs who singled him out for being Jewish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2025
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The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toughie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughie. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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