as in to harden
to make stronger (as through hardship)
She was annealed by the tragedies of her childhood.
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Recent Examples of anneal
The system will form the backbone of a long-term partnership between FAU and D-Wave, which provides both annealing and gate-model quantum computing platforms.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The glass sheets spend 45 minutes in a machine called an annealing oven cooling to around 200 degrees.
—Christine Tannous, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
Engineers sparingly tried annealing hardware space, so Juno's experience could be instructive for future missions.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Some annealing quantum-type computers are already commercialized.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
They’re served in a heap in a bowl, the logs of potato annealed, shiny and splotched with balsamic vinegar.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Workable quantum solutions that make use of annealing systems are now in use.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
After annealing, the links are strong covalent bonds [below].
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2024
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The glass sheets spend 45 minutes in a machine called an annealing oven cooling to around 200 degrees.
—Christine Tannous, IndyStar, 13 Nov. 2025
Engineers sparingly tried annealing hardware space, so Juno's experience could be instructive for future missions.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Some annealing quantum-type computers are already commercialized.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
They’re served in a heap in a bowl, the logs of potato annealed, shiny and splotched with balsamic vinegar.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Workable quantum solutions that make use of annealing systems are now in use.
—Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
After annealing, the links are strong covalent bonds [below].
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anneal
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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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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In survival mode, many brands have been forced to knuckle down and fortify their business strategies, in hopes of setting them up for success against a difficult backdrop.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Both Kadri and Roy were added to fortify what is now the best collection of centers in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean either, or both, is always going to line up in the middle of the ice.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As for severe thunderstorms, there will be moderate instability, but thick cloud cover and the potential for heavy rain should temper any widespread severe weather across Central Texas.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
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Netflix co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos has since tried to temper these concerns.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Schools, mosques, workplaces and media all became part of an ideological ecosystem designed to reinforce loyalty to the regime.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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For many neighbors, the incident has reinforced long-standing concerns about the warehouse's proximity to family residences.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anneal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anneal. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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