ANNEAL Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

anneal

verb

Definition of anneal

as in to harden

to make stronger (as through hardship) She was annealed by the tragedies of her childhood.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of anneal Engineers sparingly tried annealing hardware space, so Juno's experience could be instructive for future missions. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 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 See All Example Sentences for anneal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anneal

Verb

Rezaei was named this month as part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Iranian officials dismiss the campaign as familiar punishment, while analysts warn decades of sanctions show pressure alone rarely forces Tehran to yield and may instead harden positions on all sides.

— Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of harden

Verb

The Iranian trade office on Friday called the agreement with Oman part of Tehran's broader push to strengthen economic ties with regional partners through trade diplomacy and improved logistics infrastructure.

— Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
However, the same methodology was used throughout the study period, which strengthens the finding of an increase over time.

— Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of strengthen

Verb

The richest division in the sport might be the strongest, but financial rules, now both domestic and foreign, will do little to temper the advantage of the highest-earners.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Heat and drought were destroying the measures meant to temper them.

— Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of temper

Verb

To reinforce its point, the North followed up Thursday with a barrage of about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles launched from around the capital, Pyongyang, eastward toward the sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

— Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026
Stick Velcro dots to the underside of the felt at the top and bottom, reinforcing the adhesive under the Velcro dots with a little bit of hot glue.

— Jodi Levine, Parents, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of reinforce

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annals

anneal

annealed

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“Anneal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anneal. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of anneal

verb

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