/ ˈtʌfn; NAmE / verb toughen (sth/sb) (up)
1.
to become or make sth stronger, so that it is not easily cut, broken, etc. :
[ vn ]
toughened glass
[also v ]
2.
[ vn ] to make sth such as laws or rules stricter :
The government is considering toughening up the law on censorship.
3.
[ vn ] to make sb stronger and more able to deal with difficult situations