1
as in to strengthen
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
weight lifting will help toughen those flabby muscles of yours
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to harden
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
hiking every morning through snow and ice toughened him considerably
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3
as in to stiffen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
attempts to toughen conditions under which waivers from military service would be permitted
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toughen
But manager Mikel Arteta has gone to great lengths to try and toughen Arsenal’s resolve and in the past few years the effects have become evident.
—
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Between tears and anger, mothers and fathers of children who died at Camp Mystic in central Texas in a flood on July 4 pleaded with state lawmakers Wednesday to toughen safety at summer camps.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The shift in public opinion comes as leading health groups toughen their advice.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Aug. 2025
These can dry out or toughen quickly.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Between tears and anger, mothers and fathers of children who died at Camp Mystic in central Texas in a flood on July 4 pleaded with state lawmakers Wednesday to toughen safety at summer camps.
—Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2025
The shift in public opinion comes as leading health groups toughen their advice.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Aug. 2025
These can dry out or toughen quickly.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughen
Verb
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Moya said additional training that focuses on strengthening leadership skills and cultural awareness will also be implemented for Experience Fayetteville.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Sep. 2025
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Ukraine, too, is joining efforts to help strengthen Denmark’s security.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The material also had to harden with strength similar to natural bone and gradually break down so new bone could replace it.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Sep. 2025
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Here, the situation has changed, leaving many of the gods either hardened or embittered by the conflict.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
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The heart muscle may have thickened slightly, and arteries have likely stiffened, which can raise blood pressure.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toughen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughen. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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