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When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Cultural  

  1. The way to overcome adversity is to try harder.

when the going gets tough, the tough get going Idioms  

  1. see under get going, def. 2.

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.

He just gets down, you know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going and that's what he is.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2025

Philadelphia is a city where, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

From Time • Aug. 5, 2016

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.