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
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
These services provide access to advanced quantum computing technologies, including annealing quantum computers with over 5,000 qubits and quantum-classical hybrid solvers capable of tackling complex problems involving up to one million variables.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
In this instance, after annealing, nanoplastic molecules are physically bound together with the molecules of tetracycline.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2024
Kaveh was certainly born a good person, but his overwhelming personal grace and the power of his art were annealed into their pure form by the white-hot fire of his addiction.
—Lauren Groff, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Bound wafers and chips are then heated slowly (a process called annealing) to form stronger chemical bonds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
And researchers from Applied Materials presented progress on a method to radically reduce the time needed for annealing—from hours to just 5 minutes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
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
These services provide access to advanced quantum computing technologies, including annealing quantum computers with over 5,000 qubits and quantum-classical hybrid solvers capable of tackling complex problems involving up to one million variables.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
In this instance, after annealing, nanoplastic molecules are physically bound together with the molecules of tetracycline.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2024
Kaveh was certainly born a good person, but his overwhelming personal grace and the power of his art were annealed into their pure form by the white-hot fire of his addiction.
—Lauren Groff, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Bound wafers and chips are then heated slowly (a process called annealing) to form stronger chemical bonds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
And researchers from Applied Materials presented progress on a method to radically reduce the time needed for annealing—from hours to just 5 minutes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anneal
Verb
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Iran rejects tight restrictions on its nuclear program and has hardened its stance after Israel and the U.S. targeted its nuclear facilities in June.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
They’d be hardened to anything that life and work threw their way.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Forecasters have warned that Flossie, which strengthened to become a tropical storm on June 29, could become a hurricane within days.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
-
To strengthen your position in this AI age, regularly audit your skills, passions, and industry trends.—
Britney Porter,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Following the January departure of Flos B&B Italia’s chief executive officer, luxury veteran Daniel Lalonde, its new management has been focused on fortifying each firm in its portfolio before selling them off.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
-
Its railing is fortified with plexiglass safety barriers to prevent children from climbing, according to USA Today.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 June 2025
Verb
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This new offering empowers retailers to curate exclusive barrels of Knob Creek Bourbon or Rye bottled straight from the barrel, with no water added to temper its natural punch.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Max suspects that a palace faction has been conspiring to temper any influence his family might generate, fearful that more returning brothers might form a stronger alternative power source that would be more difficult to tame.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
Verb
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As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
12 July 2025
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In psychology, rituals are known to reduce anxiety and reinforce identity, especially during change.—
Virgie Tovar,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anneal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anneal. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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