as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
his poor showing in his first swim meet just emboldened him to train even harder
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Recent Examples of embolden
While the Seahawks were correct in their evaluation, the $245 million extension Wilson signed with the Broncos emboldened him.
—
Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Capitol police officers have sued over the initiative in a Washington, DC federal court, saying the fund could further embolden people who have already subjected them to harassment and death threats.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Both pledge to end negotiations, blaming Petro’s approach for weakening the state and emboldening armed groups.
—Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran's hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for embolden
Mike Sando, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Capitol police officers have sued over the initiative in a Washington, DC federal court, saying the fund could further embolden people who have already subjected them to harassment and death threats.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 June 2026
Both pledge to end negotiations, blaming Petro’s approach for weakening the state and emboldening armed groups.
—Catherine Ellis, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
The emerging deal puts off many critical issues to be resolved later and has already exposed the Republican president to fierce criticism — even from some of his own supporters — that Iran's hardline leaders will emerge from the conflict battered but emboldened.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for embolden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embolden
Verb
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When reconstructing the Inquisition trial of a sixteenth-century northern Italian miller, historian Carlo Ginzburg encountered a line that would eventually inspire the title of his paradigm-shifting study The Cheese and the Worms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Though all eyes will be on North America, the national pride this event inspires – and the staggered start times that will allow fans watching back in their home countries to take in their teams during sort-of-normal hours – will stir incredible excitement and patriotism all around the world.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
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While most college broadcast-journalism programs tend to encourage would-be talent to ditch their regional accents in favor of a more neutral, untraceable delivery, TV pros who came up in the bigs aren’t subject to that sort of verbal nullification.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
12 June 2026
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The event, called Fulfillment Center, was geared toward people of all ages who were encouraged to come, put their phone in a cotton bag and engage with one of the many activities centered around reading, writing, making and playing at a long, communal table.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Embolden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embolden. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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