toughen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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toughens,
present (3rd person singular)
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toughened,
past participle, past
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toughening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
toughensimple
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toughenssimple
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have toughenedperfect
-
has toughenedperfect
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am tougheningprogressive
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are tougheningprogressive
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is tougheningprogressive
-
have been tougheningperfect progressive
-
has been tougheningperfect progressive
Past
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toughenedsimple
-
had toughenedperfect
-
was tougheningprogressive
-
were tougheningprogressive
-
had been tougheningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of toughen
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.
See Examples For:
A bipartisan bill released Thursday would toughen penalties against preparers who improperly handle returns.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026
Vinicius has become a global symbol of resistance against discrimination as he strives to get the authorities to toughen their protocols and actions.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2026
Australia's leaders have agreed to toughen laws that allowed Sajid Akram to own six guns.
From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025
Such prohibitions exist in dozens of states, but many doctors, nurses and policymakers want to toughen them up as a buttress against private equity’s influence in the sector.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
Maya was definitely going to have to toughen her up.
From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway
The act toughens the law on age verification online, another inquiry recommendation.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2025
The Sixers’ schedule toughens up next week with a game against Chicago, the 12th team in the East.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
The reform also toughens the rules on wiretapping, a hotly debated issue in Italy, by curbing the use in trials of tapped conversations involving people not under direct investigation.
From Reuters ● Jun. 15, 2023
The proposed housing bill also toughens eviction regulations.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2023
The only thing that changed is that he calls me Space Boy twice as often, which only toughens my resolve not to press the button.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
He’s been promoted several times at the small company he works at—he’s been earning his own way after college—and says he’s found mentors there and toughened up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
One bone of contention is a suspension clause toughened by parliament that would scrap favourable tariff conditions for US exporters, should the United States later breach the terms of the deal.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
The windows, vulnerable to shattering in extreme heat, are made of a toughened glass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
The news comes ahead of language requirements for citizenship being toughened for everyone else under new immigration rules from January 1.
From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025
The Bamiyan sun had toughened his skin, and turned it several shades darker than I remembered, and he had lost a few of his front teeth.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
McVay understands that the “old-school way” of toughening and preparing players for a season can be achieved without “killing us on the field,” Adams said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Whilst countries differ in their approaches to tackling antisemitism – from toughening laws to improving education – they also identify common experiences, with near universal concern about the role of social media and artificial intelligence.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
"For the first time, we are seeing a softening of the stance rather than a toughening of it - this is a huge success for Poland. Although we will fight for more," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Several nations are toughening up age restrictions on social media platforms as concerns grow over excessive screen time for children and their exposure to harmful content online.
From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026
At night, with Crane-man’s careful ministrations, the wound on Tree-ear’s hand would begin to heal, the tender pink layer toughening slightly.
From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park
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.
