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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Years of swinging and flipping across the playground have toughened Luna’s small hands.
—
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
The union is calling on state lawmakers to toughen penalties for wage theft or ducking workers compensation and employee taxes.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Consider that go-to little black dress; adding a sleek leather belt and some edgy silver jewelry toughens it up, and gives it a completely different vibe.
—Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Senior forward Devan Cambridge believes UCF sometimes gets too comfortable and needs to toughen up, particularly on defense.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 23 Feb. 2026
The union is calling on state lawmakers to toughen penalties for wage theft or ducking workers compensation and employee taxes.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Consider that go-to little black dress; adding a sleek leather belt and some edgy silver jewelry toughens it up, and gives it a completely different vibe.
—Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Senior forward Devan Cambridge believes UCF sometimes gets too comfortable and needs to toughen up, particularly on defense.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughen
Verb
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The project aims to strengthen security controls and increase automation across daily operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
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Trump signed into law the first reconciliation bill passed by this Congress last year, extending his tax cuts, funding immigration enforcement, and strengthening work requirements for certain federal social welfare programs.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The facility had been recently hardened with a concrete shell and then covered with soil in the months before the current conflict.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
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But there is a troubling shift that occurs when success hardens into excess and gives way to fear, a paradox that emerges all too often.—
Michael Sonnenfeldt,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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What began as breathlessness hardened into silicosis, an irreversible disease that stiffens the lungs until even ordinary movement becomes effort.—
Dr. Céline Gounder,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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After the deputies put him back into the chair, Mitchell’s body stiffened, with his legs straight in front of him and his head lolling back.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toughen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughen. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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