get tough on
idiomatic phrase
: to deal harshly with
Greece promised last week to get tough on tax evasion …—
Alan Clendenning
Alan ClendenningEnvironmental groups and health agencies such as the American Lung Association have pushed lawmakers to get tough on polluters and enact stricter smog limits …—Melissa Knopper
Melissa Knopper"… For a long time in the United States, the politics around law and order have been, get tough on crime. … "—Paul Butler
Paul ButlerExamples of get tough on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The White House initially portrayed the decision to pair immigration with the military funding request as an enticement, or at the very least an attempt at compromise, to win over Republicans who had been calling on Mr. Biden to get tougher on the border.
—Erica L. Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024
Vowing to get tougher on lax retailers, the Biden administration in 2021 announced a far stricter policy in which even one serious violation would result in the ATF moving to revoke a license.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2023
Washington’s concerns with Beijing’s rollback of reforms, heightened domestic repression, military buildup, and assertiveness overseas since Mr. Xi took power in 2012 have united key American constituencies in a rare bipartisan consensus to get tough on China.
—Jacob Turcotte, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2023
The latest from California Washington is getting tough on China.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Lately streaming service news has been all about price hikes, the introduction of ads, getting tougher on password sharing, and even unreliable performance.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023
There’s a lot of general talk about lowering inflation, slashing government spending, cutting taxes, boosting US energy production, and getting tougher on America’s biggest global competitor, China.
—Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
Thomas Hogan, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a former district attorney in Chester County, Pennsylvania, says that a more efficient solution is to get tough on crime at a local level.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 July 2023
Over 100 former world leaders urged Biden this week to get tough on Iran.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 26 May 2023
Erica L. Green, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024
Vowing to get tougher on lax retailers, the Biden administration in 2021 announced a far stricter policy in which even one serious violation would result in the ATF moving to revoke a license.
—Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2023
Washington’s concerns with Beijing’s rollback of reforms, heightened domestic repression, military buildup, and assertiveness overseas since Mr. Xi took power in 2012 have united key American constituencies in a rare bipartisan consensus to get tough on China.
—Jacob Turcotte, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Nov. 2023
The latest from California Washington is getting tough on China.
—David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2023
Lately streaming service news has been all about price hikes, the introduction of ads, getting tougher on password sharing, and even unreliable performance.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023
There’s a lot of general talk about lowering inflation, slashing government spending, cutting taxes, boosting US energy production, and getting tougher on America’s biggest global competitor, China.
—Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Aug. 2023
Thomas Hogan, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a former district attorney in Chester County, Pennsylvania, says that a more efficient solution is to get tough on crime at a local level.
—Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 July 2023
Over 100 former world leaders urged Biden this week to get tough on Iran.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 26 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get tough on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Get tough on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%20tough%20on. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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