Thesaurus results for TOUGHY

toughie

noun

ˈtə-fē

variants also toughy

Definition of toughie

as in thug

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

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 toughie Other toughies are at the not-so-soft Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13, the revenge trip to New England in Week 15 and the Philadelphia Eagles at Highmark Stadium in Week 17. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 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 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 The surprises come from Rachel McAdams, who holds her own as a wise-cracking toughie, and PeÃ±a, who defrosts from macho pride mode with low-key grace. — Hugh Hart, WIRED, 29 Oct. 2008

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughie

Noun

Shortly after his big win, he’s attacked by two thugs in a parking garage.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026
The night of the title fight, Duke is attacked by two thugs who smash his hand with a hammer and, in the ensuing chaos, kill somebody close to him.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026

Definition of thug

Noun

And Susan Collins, as Democrats have seen time and time again, is a real tough out.

— NBC news, NBC news, 21 June 2026
In that version, the character is played by Joe Don Baker, the great character actor known for playing toughs in films like Walking Tall (1973) and Fletch (1985).

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026

Definition of tough

Noun

In July, Roku made the city even more interactive with a new brand campaign that guides users to visit six themed areas featuring humorous promo spots, including a pirate ship, a volcano and a villain’s evil lair.

— Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
Still, bonus points for casting Chukwudi Iwuji as the menacing High Evolutionary, one of the oddest and most unsettling Marvel villains in recent memory.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of villain

Noun

More than a year earlier, Arlington, Massachusetts sent four straight monthly payments totaling $446,000 to a criminal who had impersonated a real vendor and asked to switch from paper checks to electronic transfer.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Do not ignore a small charge because criminals sometimes use minor transactions to test an account.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Badly in Love manages to break through because the cast of men and women looking for true love are from the Japanese yankii subculture—juvenile delinquents, motorcycle gangsters, troubled women, and more.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
Ritchson plays a tough guy who falls for a local gangster’s girl.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 21 July 2026

Definition of gangster

Noun

The film reimagines the legend of Chang’Er, the moon goddess, and her husband, the archer Hou Yi, picking up the story after Chang’Er ascends to the moon and setting her on a journey to its dark side alongside a bandit from Earth.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
In Kogi State, bandits recently raided an orphanage and took twenty-three children hostage.

— Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of bandit

Noun

Created by Tessa Coates, Ride or Die is a spy action comedy about an assassin, Judith (Waddingham) whose latest case inadvertently involves her best friend of more than 20 years, Debbie (Spencer), a politician’s wife.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
This show loves nothing more this season than to introduce a potential assassin and promptly thwart his plan via blade to the head or neck.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of assassin

Noun

But the island was also a haven for outcasts and pirates and merchants, from across Europe and the Levant and beyond, who came to the Caribbean to seek their fortunes or to help grow the fortunes of others.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
The voyage started with 350 captives; almost all died or were kidnapped a second time by pirates.

— USA Today, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of pirate

Browse Nearby Words

toughens

toughie

toughies

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“Toughie.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughie. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of toughie

noun

Example Sentences

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