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anneal

verb

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

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Example Sentences

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
  1. harden
  2. strengthen
  3. fortify
  4. temper
  5. reinforce
Verb
  • Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is facing a tight contest for a Senate seat, also hardened his stance against data centers recently.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The rare trip by CIA chief John Ratcliffe failed to persuade Putin to stop the war and may have hardened the Russian’s leaders resolve to seek military victory.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of harden
Verb
  • Graphite is a key battery material, and securing alternative sources and production methods is part of efforts to strengthen US battery supply chains.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
  • As students return to classrooms and campuses, communications leaders should use this moment to review the plan, rehearse it and strengthen their crisis communications plans.
    — Kimberly Osborne, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of strengthen
Verb
  • But the changes came after the early signing day for high school recruits and just before the transfer portal opened — not much time for new staffers to assess FSU’s personnel and fortify its roster.
    — Matt Baker, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The addition of cotton and raw material-producing countries like Egypt and Ethiopia further fortifies a strong sourcing platform that already includes manufacturing giants India and China.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of fortify
Verb
  • The end product remains inconsistent, with four goals and three assists in the Bundesliga last season, and the Norwegian perhaps needs to temper his instinct to drive forward at every opportunity.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And while many Californians will follow Marie over the coming week, temper your expectations about this storm’s capabilities.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of temper
Verb
  • The act of retrieving information can help reinforce learning.
    — Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Thanks to the support of Canadian agencies, these teams might very well achieve this goal, reinforcing the transatlantic collaborations between European and Canadian animation industries.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of reinforce

Browse Nearby Words

annals
anneal
annealed
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Cite this Entry

“Anneal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anneal. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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