How to Use tough-minded in a Sentence

tough-minded

adjective
  • His dad was a very, very tough-minded person.
    — Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Lucas is a tough-minded old buzzard.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026
  • Those are two tough-minded veterans.
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 25 June 2026
  • Is the group as tough-minded without Thibodeau’s patented verve?
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • 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
  • The film is set in and around a maternity home in Liège where the staff look after their charges, all teen-agers, with tough-minded compassion.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Flamboyant and fun, Dirksen was also shrewd, hardworking and tough-minded.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Jarred Vanderbilt is tough-minded, Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
    — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 10 May 2026
  • The professionalism of stars, their charismatic hold over audiences, is inseparable from such tough-minded reckonings.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026
  • That second tier of the East, the one the Pistons are hoping to join, is ripe for the Magic, a tough-minded, young team that already guards like one of the NBA’s elite.
    — Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
  • That second unit included Pollard, who was known for being physical and tough-minded during an era when physicality was more celebrated in the NBA, if not always during practice.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Kerr encourages players, coaches and others in the Warriors organization to be kind and tough-minded, compassionate and competitive, rigorous and creative, consistent and innovative.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The tough-minded, rigid leadership style that worked during Welch’s era doesn’t fit the needs of modern leadership, especially for younger generations who value vulnerability, authenticity, and emotional intelligence.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tough-minded.' 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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