tough-minded

adjective

Definition of tough-mindednext
as in unsentimental

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tough-minded Jarred Vanderbilt is tough-minded, Lakers coach JJ Redick said. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 May 2026 Her tough-minded sister, Ena (Lisa Hagmeister), sees things with greater clarity. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026 Murphy, a gifted mechanic and a veteran of the Great War, immediately stands out to Clancy as a tough-minded, industrious guy. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2026 The number of ambiguous, tough-minded docs may be dwindling, but the tools to repair a broken world are growing. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 7 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tough-minded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tough-minded
  1. unsentimental
  2. bottom-line
  3. unromantic
  4. levelheaded
  5. hard-edged
  6. rational
  7. sensible
  8. logical
Adjective
  • That’s a shame, because Eleazar gives a layered and unsentimental performance in what should be her breakout role, even as Rock’s film turns out to hide some curious ideas about women.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Mears died at the age of ninety-one, and the end of his life seems to have been as unsentimental as its beginning.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of unsentimental
Adjective
  • Top- and bottom-line results for the period beat expectations.
    — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026
  • McKinsey’s 2026 State of AI survey found that only about 6% of companies report a significant bottom-line impact from AI—defined as attributing at least 5% of EBIT to the technology—a figure unchanged from a year earlier.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of bottom-line
Adjective
  • Hollywood has reliably churned out rom-coms for a century, but only a handful have survived the unromantic ravages of time.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 29 Oct. 2026
  • At the press conference, a journalist noted that his filmography is notable for its unromantic view of animal life.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of unromantic
Adjective
  • The man had proven difficult to talk to in a cool, levelheaded way.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • To hear levelheaded commentators discuss it, this was all simply entertainment — two of the genre’s greats duking it out.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of levelheaded
Adjective
  • The Good, the Bad and the Painterly As Bouancheau fashioned a Puss that was more lyrical, like a character that stepped out of a fairy tale book and less hard-edged, all the other characters followed suit.
    — Karen Idelson, Variety, 23 Feb. 2023
Definition of hard-edged
Adjective
  • Kim will face his last days when a large enough body of North Korean elites conclude that remaining loyal is no longer their safest and most rational choice.
    — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Predicting the costs How cities full of rational, educated, financially prudent people get sucked in, how we’re persuaded to put aside concerns about being stuck with a massive bill and just surrender to the spectacle.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of rational
Adjective
  • The exhibit will include over 200 pieces that play with the sensible, mundane, and high fashion.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The sensible comment might suggest Honeycutt doesn’t care which party or politician follows through with MAHA’s goals, just as long as they’re achieved.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sensible
Adjective
  • But there’s something bracingly logical about injecting the synthetic jolt of electronic dance music into a hospital environment, where vulnerable bodies are sustained by machines.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • With 40 percent of its revenue generated by returning customers, Braquet said this focus was the logical next step and the motivation in their ongoing first funding round.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of logical

Browse Nearby Words

toughly
tough-minded
toughness
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Cite this Entry

“Tough-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tough-minded. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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