reinforces; reinforced; reinforcing
1
: to strengthen (a group of people) with new supplies or more people
The captain sent out another squad to reinforce the troops.
Our camp is reinforced with supplies flown in by helicopter.
2
: to strengthen (something, such as clothing or a building) by adding more material for support
She reinforced the elbows of the jacket. [=she sewed more material onto the elbows of the jacket]
The soldiers reinforced [=strengthened] the barricades with sandbags.
The levees will need to be reinforced.
3
: to encourage or give support to (an idea, behavior, feeling, etc.)
The bad weather forecast only reinforces our decision to leave early tomorrow.
Some critics say that the movie reinforces negative stereotypes about the military.
We do our best to reinforce good conduct in the classroom.
Cite this Entry
“Reinforce.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/reinforce. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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