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Synonyms

get tough with

Idioms  
  1. Become harsh, severe, unyielding with someone. For example, We have to get tough with these people or we'll get nowhere. [c. 1930]


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.

Chen, a former deputy L.A. mayor, has been demanding that insurance companies deliver what their clients paid for, and imploring state insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara to get tough with them.

From Los Angeles Times

You feel underestimated nine times out of 10, and you’ve got to get tough with that and get used to it and know that it’s not personal.

From Los Angeles Times

“So much of what we see now about the war in Vietnam is a function of the individual personalities and characters of people and their inability to just get tough with themselves.”

From Salon

His strategy has therefore been to get tough with Pyongyang.

From BBC

Ms Rayner vowed to "get tough" with developers who tried to "wriggle out" of their social obligations.

From BBC