as in encouraging
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 emboldening
Both pledge to end negotiations, blaming Petro’s approach for weakening the state and emboldening armed groups.
—
Catherine Ellis,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges' orders.
—
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges’ orders.
—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
The city’s failure to investigate or correct the conduct has only resulted in emboldening it, the suit said.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a violent crackdown.
—
Julia Nikhinson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
This is thanks to Venus and Mars working together in your sensible 6th house, emboldening you to streamline routines and add creative flair to useful habits.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
But experts worry this audacious undertaking risks fraying the last remaining threads of international norms, emboldening autocracies into new acts of aggression without fear of consequences.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
But those tactics seem to have backfired, emboldening those who were skeptical of the new map proposal.
—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
15 Dec. 2025
Catherine Ellis,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges' orders.
—
ABC News,
2 May 2026
Critics say those decisions are emboldening the administration to ignore judges’ orders.
—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
The city’s failure to investigate or correct the conduct has only resulted in emboldening it, the suit said.
—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a violent crackdown.
—
Julia Nikhinson,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
This is thanks to Venus and Mars working together in your sensible 6th house, emboldening you to streamline routines and add creative flair to useful habits.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
But experts worry this audacious undertaking risks fraying the last remaining threads of international norms, emboldening autocracies into new acts of aggression without fear of consequences.
—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
But those tactics seem to have backfired, emboldening those who were skeptical of the new map proposal.
—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emboldening
Verb
-
Tree was recognizable for his bright fashion, mullet haircut with prominent bangs, thin mustache and encouraging outlook.
-
Bad choices like that are a through-line for this whole story, all the way back to Otto Hightower encouraging his daughter, Alicent, to befriend Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys.
Verb
-
That scare is credited with inspiring him to make positive lifestyle changes.
-
But Verlaine remained a guiding light in New York music, on his own eccentric terms, inspiring experimental rads like Sonic Youth.
Cite this Entry
“Emboldening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emboldening. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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