get-tough
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of get-tough
First recorded in 1955–60
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 get-tough approach still has proponents, but critics argued that it increased the number of dropouts while providing too little benefit.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025
Although the decline began before the latest policy changes, this get-tough approach has been cited as one of the reasons for the city's success.
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025
For evidence of Abbott’s intensifying get-tough tactics, look no further than Gate 36, where Abbott first deployed National Guard soldiers and state police in late 2022.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2024
That’s attributable, in part, to a slew of get-tough laws passed on the federal and state level, which lengthened mandatory sentences for many crimes.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 25, 2023
Now, his administration is tacking back toward some of those same get-tough policies and it is paying off.
From Washington Times • Feb. 10, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
