tough love
noun
: love or affectionate concern expressed in a stern or unsentimental manner (as through discipline) especially to promote responsible behavior
Examples of tough love in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dancing With the Stars alum Cheryl Burke is offering some tough love for season 33 contestant Anna Delvey and words of wisdom for the fake heiress's pro partner, Ezra Sosa, from one dancer to another.
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Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Sep. 2024
This was one of the Mayor’s annual men’s breakfasts, which combine networking opportunities with business advice and, inevitably, tough love, aimed at a demographic that is generally perceived to be in need of it.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2024
While this may seem like tough love, the ultimate goal of any business should be to serve its customers in the most efficient and effective way possible.
—Mike Whitmire, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tough love 
Lauren Huff, EW.com, 21 Sep. 2024
This was one of the Mayor’s annual men’s breakfasts, which combine networking opportunities with business advice and, inevitably, tough love, aimed at a demographic that is generally perceived to be in need of it.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024
Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit’s cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2024
While this may seem like tough love, the ultimate goal of any business should be to serve its customers in the most efficient and effective way possible.
—Mike Whitmire, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tough love
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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Cite this Entry
“Tough love.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tough%20love. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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