Definition of tough love
: love or affectionate concern expressed in a stern or unsentimental manner (as through discipline) especially to promote responsible behavior
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Recent Examples of tough love from the Web
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West Ham United manager David Moyes says that a spot of 'tough love' is the reason why Marko Arnautovic is back to his best once again.
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And then there’s the voice of her mother, all tough love.
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Freeman’s tough love helped the debate team win the 24th Annual International Forensic Association Tournament in 2013, among countless other accolades.
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The 39-year-old, who has since rebuilt his property from scratch, isn’t big on tough love.
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Barack Obama broke a months-long public silence on Thursday to offer the Democrat party a dose of tough love at a political fundraiser in Beverly Hills.
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Not for the tough love from running backs coach Duce Staley.
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The dessert’s later use as a projectile becomes an expression of something like tough love.
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But the French leader, who is the same age as Trump's eldest son, quickly learned that the new American president responds well to tough love.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tough love.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of tough love
1968
TOUGH LOVE Defined for English Language Learners
tough love
Definition of tough love for English Language Learners
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: love or concern that is expressed in a strict way especially to make someone behave responsibly
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