variants
also toughy
as in tough
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
after numerous suspensions, the school toughies were finally expelled for gang activities on campus
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toughie
And special days call for special grids, such as this set of six toughies that were originally shelved but have remained in our hearts.
—
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Extra time may be spent looking for that toughie that was present just a few days ago.
—Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 15 Dec. 2017
The surprises come from Rachel McAdams, who holds her own as a wise-cracking toughie, and Peña, who defrosts from macho pride mode with low-key grace.
—Hugh Hart, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2008
Another cold-weather toughie is Alaska's red flat bark beetle, which, under lab conditions, can survive cooling down to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 10 Dec. 2016
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
Extra time may be spent looking for that toughie that was present just a few days ago.
—Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, 15 Dec. 2017
The surprises come from Rachel McAdams, who holds her own as a wise-cracking toughie, and Peña, who defrosts from macho pride mode with low-key grace.
—Hugh Hart, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2008
Another cold-weather toughie is Alaska's red flat bark beetle, which, under lab conditions, can survive cooling down to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit.
—Liz Langley, National Geographic, 10 Dec. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughie
Noun
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Williams is already Beale Street jerky tough and looks like a plug-and-play 3-and-D wing.—
Kelly Iko,
The Athletic,
11 Apr. 2024
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When a set of tortuous toughs relocate to the neighborhood, his temperament shifts and the scenes increasingly unravel the inner workings of his shaken psyche.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
23 Sep. 2024
Noun
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By the way, none of us is a criminal, as hacking is not a crime.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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Manson was a petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
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At his best, Jokić is the schoolyard bully who pummels his way through even the most aggressive of children.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Instead of trying to sneak a bite while nobody is watching him, Dough the XL bully keeps his cool and controls his instincts, defeating any possible temptation.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
Noun
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There’s no dearth of evil Imperial thugs in Andor — however, one character who seems to exist in a complicated moral gray is Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), a fellow ISB officer who attends Partagaz’s closed-door briefings alongside Dedra but relays the Empire’s plans to Luthen in secret.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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Speaking of the stand: The prosecution’s main witness changes her damning testimony against Gomez when one of his thugs — the same guy that was trying to get Noah to get in his car — arrives in court and glares menacingly from the back row.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toughie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughie. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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