talk tough
idiom
: to say that one will act in a forceful and aggressive way
When the subject is national security, all the candidates talk tough.
—often + onThe new mayor talks tough on crime.
Examples of talk tough in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
China Trump has continued to talk tough against China while praising its leader Xi Jinping.
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Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2024
Perhaps the best way to understand Trump’s China policy is to view it as an attitude rather than a strategy: talk tough on China and push back in all areas and at all times.
—Evan Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2021
Organizers point out that workers are often demoralized when union leaders talk tough and then quickly settle for a subpar deal.
—Noam Scheiber, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
But the debate over the EAGLE Act suggests that while Democrats in Congress are happy to talk tough on China, too few of them are up to the task of crafting concrete measures to confront the threats Beijing poses to the global order.
—Jimmy Quinn, National Review, 5 July 2021
Beard is white, gets in his players’ faces, loves to talk tough.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
Controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva frequently uses social media to talk tough about crime, dismiss claims of widespread police brutality and call out his critics.
—Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2022
President Biden took the podium to talk tough and show resolve.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 24 Feb. 2022
It was broadcast after Trump, who seems certain to seek a return to the Oval Office in 2024, was beginning to talk tough about potential primary opponents.
—Michael D'antonio, CNN, 5 Oct. 2021
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 11 Sep. 2024
Perhaps the best way to understand Trump’s China policy is to view it as an attitude rather than a strategy: talk tough on China and push back in all areas and at all times.
—Evan Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2021
Organizers point out that workers are often demoralized when union leaders talk tough and then quickly settle for a subpar deal.
—Noam Scheiber, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
But the debate over the EAGLE Act suggests that while Democrats in Congress are happy to talk tough on China, too few of them are up to the task of crafting concrete measures to confront the threats Beijing poses to the global order.
—Jimmy Quinn, National Review, 5 July 2021
Beard is white, gets in his players’ faces, loves to talk tough.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023
Controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva frequently uses social media to talk tough about crime, dismiss claims of widespread police brutality and call out his critics.
—Justin Ray, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2022
President Biden took the podium to talk tough and show resolve.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 24 Feb. 2022
It was broadcast after Trump, who seems certain to seek a return to the Oval Office in 2024, was beginning to talk tough about potential primary opponents.
—Michael D'antonio, CNN, 5 Oct. 2021
Dictionary Entries Near talk tough
Cite this Entry
“Talk tough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/talk%20tough. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
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