1
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises
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2
as in to strengthen
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
he downed another granola bar to fortify himself for the rest of the bike ride
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3
as in to harden
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortify
They’ve already been linked to two of the portal’s best available defenders in Oklahoma State edge Wendell Gregory and Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine to help fortify a defense that’ll lose its top playmakers to the NFL draft.
—
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
At the helm is Iran’s ailing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spent decades trying to fortify his regime from domestic and foreign threats, but must now contend with a failing strategy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Some are also fortified with vitamins, minerals, or probiotics to provide extra benefits, so check the label.
—Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 29 Dec. 2025
His plan is to use them to fortify his powers and merge the two worlds together.
—Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fortify
Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
At the helm is Iran’s ailing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who spent decades trying to fortify his regime from domestic and foreign threats, but must now contend with a failing strategy.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Some are also fortified with vitamins, minerals, or probiotics to provide extra benefits, so check the label.
—Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 29 Dec. 2025
His plan is to use them to fortify his powers and merge the two worlds together.
—Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fortify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortify
Verb
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The Texas Education Agency will meet with the Lake Worth community Wednesday as the school district braces for a state takeover.—
Lacey Beasley,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
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Dean, as Ruby’s ambitious friend and mentor who is also braced for loss, is particularly outstanding, while Todd Field nicely depicts the solace and agonies one faces when establishing tight boundaries in life.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its formula of ceramides, astaxanthin, and arginine strengthen, provide elasticity, and heal weak or broken hair.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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The meeting comes as Tokyo seeks to rein in a deepening diplomatic and trade rift with China while strengthening ties with allies to counter Beijing’s attempts to isolate Japan.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After the speech, Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, a Democrat who has led the legislature’s AI regulation push, said conversations were ongoing and that a task force created by Polis was readying language for more legislation.—
Nick Coltrain,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The litigation is unfolding as SoFi Stadium readies to host 2026 FIFA World Cup games, the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic events.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortify. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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