when the going gets tough

idiom

: when it becomes difficult to continue or to make progress

What will you do when the going gets tough?

Examples of when the going gets tough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Biden administration has the smarts and the backbone to follow through even when the going gets tough. —Aaron David Miller, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2023

When the weather turns, when the legs are tired, or when the going gets tough, nothing can help one get through the race like the great people of Berkeley who come out to ensure everybody finishes in great spirits. —Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022

But Djokovic, always so tough when the going gets tough, pulled out the win. —Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023

People don’t want to support a brand that won’t support them when the going gets tough, Ellis argued. —Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 22 June 2023

In some species, when the going gets tough, the body hits the brakes, chilling body temperature and slowing metabolism to a snail’s pace in a state known as torpor. —Emily Willingham, Scientific American, 5 June 2023

This team has not exactly shown the resolve to deal with the going when the going gets tough. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2023

For safety, the Buoy Girls swim in pairs, coaxing each other when the going gets tough. —Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2022

Just make sure that your rowing form stays on point, even when the going gets tough. —Perri O. Blumberg, Men's Health, 10 Nov. 2022