How to Use tough love in a Sentence

tough love

noun
  • Those lessons of tough love weren't just good on the court, but also in life.
    — Rod Walker, NOLA.com, 31 Aug. 2020
  • True friends are sources of joy, laughter, and even a healthy dose of tough love.
    — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, 15 Dec. 2017
  • Call it tough love or just good parenting.
    — Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
  • In some places that has come over as something closer to tough love.
    — Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2020
  • Sometimes, that translates to a bit of tough love.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • In that context, some see tough love as a shield, experts said.
    — Sonja Sharpstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2022
  • My hit of the week is tough love from parents who evicted their son in court.
    — Fox News, 27 May 2018
  • My father for the tough love and showing me his strength through God.
    — Leyla Shokoohe, The Enquirer, 27 Nov. 2022
  • Even her support of her spouse at his lowest moments reads as tough love.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 Feb. 2024
  • Marin brings tough love and ethnic wisdom to this mascot role.
    — Armond White, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
  • Micheaux doesn’t have any trouble dishing out the tough love to her players.
    — Jon Poorman, Houston Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026
  • At the end of the day, such tough love can guide us to truly love Shakespeare.
    — John Douglas Thompson, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Was this tough love or simply money talking?
    — Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
  • This is ultimately an act of self-love that feels like tough love in the moment.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2024
  • And everyone leaves the courtroom with a valuable dose of tough love.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2023
  • There’s some tough love in these tips, but this is a tough process in what’s looking to be toughening times.
    — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 17 May 2025
  • Some viewed it as tough love, even if Hart never made his intentions known.
    — James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 3 June 2026
  • Many chatbots do tend to hype users up rather than giving tough love or challenging their ideas.
    — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 17 Jan. 2026
  • In the coach’s eyes, this decision isn’t a punishment, or even tough love.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
  • None of it would be possible, Butler said, if not for a phone call and some tough love.
    — Jordan McPherson, miamiherald, 6 Feb. 2018
  • But the tough love should have occurred after the 2018 in the form of trades.
    — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 17 Nov. 2019
  • Joel rescues Sam from herself and does so with poise, humor and a healthy dose of tough love.
    — NBC News, 19 Jan. 2022
  • The team knew that Chirino was the type of coach who would give them tough love, Correa said.
    — Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, 24 Oct. 2021
  • Saturn is the taskmaster of the zodiac and teaches us lessons through tough love.
    — Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 19 Dec. 2017
  • The idea is to nurture them with tough love and nudge them to adulthood — then release them, like fish in a river.
    — John Branch, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
  • And try to find someone who will give you the just-right combination of support and tough love.
    — Elizabeth Heath, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2020
  • The 39-year-old, who has since rebuilt his property from scratch, isn’t big on tough love.
    — Amelia Lester, New York Times, 29 June 2018
  • While Navarro plays Leah’s hero, Danvers opts for tough love.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
  • Now, Irvine will bring his trademark tough love and intense focus to the business.
    — Anna Caplan, Dallas News, 3 June 2021
  • These words upset the European elites, but were tough love for our old allies.
    — John Seiler, Oc Register, 22 Dec. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tough love.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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