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
  • 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
  • Shares rose 2% after the digital payments platform posted third-quarter, bottom-line results that beat estimates.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of bottom-line
Adjective
  • 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
  • For 30 minutes, the hunter watched the whitetails play a cat-and-mouse game as the buck tried to stay close to the unromantic does.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unromantic
Adjective
  • 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
  • The group consists of levelheaded leader Blossom, sweet-natured Bubbles, and spunky Buttercup.
    — Oliver Gettell, Entertainment Weekly, 26 July 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
  • 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
  • There is, in the cold, rational, and most-of-all humorless heart of Defoe, intimations of a world to come (which is our own).
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of rational
Adjective
  • Guests who think an occasional bottle of wine flung on the counter has rendered this custom obsolete should note that any sensible hostess will disagree.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The most sensible corporate response is neither blind automation nor defensive denial.
    — Gleb Tsipursky, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensible
Adjective
  • Considering that deer live by their noses, Woods has a logical theory about why deer are most active at dawn and dusk.
    — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026
  • That track record is why Costco’s move into healthcare is logical, and likely to succeed.
    — Jeffrey I. Cole, Fortune, 28 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 2026.

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