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
The 49ers outlasted the Rams in overtime in a Week 6 Thursday night affair, Mac Jones had resumed starter duties and has made every start since, emboldening Shanahan and the 49ers’ confidence weekly while Purdy’s health recovers.
—
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025
Evangelical fervor is to him as spinach is to Popeye, emboldening him to try to save a woman who didn’t ask to be saved and fight crime by committing a string of assaults.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Gazing inward, and taking a closer-than-ever look at the outside world, has been cathartic, emboldening — and absolutely refreshing.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Pakistan has faced a surge in Islamist violence since the Taliban swept Kabul in 2021, emboldening militant groups.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
That has changed, emboldening progressive candidates.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats have fostered an environment of evil, emboldening radicals to kill, steal, and destroy.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
Former staffers from both CMS and the inspector general’s office said that the lack of consequences for EMTALA violations may be emboldening hospitals to turn away patients that could hurt their bottom line.
—Eli Cahan, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2025
The current cashless bail policies are failing victims, emboldening repeat offenders, and undermining the trust people place in our justice system.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Cam Inman, Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2025
Evangelical fervor is to him as spinach is to Popeye, emboldening him to try to save a woman who didn’t ask to be saved and fight crime by committing a string of assaults.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Gazing inward, and taking a closer-than-ever look at the outside world, has been cathartic, emboldening — and absolutely refreshing.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Pakistan has faced a surge in Islamist violence since the Taliban swept Kabul in 2021, emboldening militant groups.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
That has changed, emboldening progressive candidates.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats have fostered an environment of evil, emboldening radicals to kill, steal, and destroy.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2025
Former staffers from both CMS and the inspector general’s office said that the lack of consequences for EMTALA violations may be emboldening hospitals to turn away patients that could hurt their bottom line.
—Eli Cahan, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2025
The current cashless bail policies are failing victims, emboldening repeat offenders, and undermining the trust people place in our justice system.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emboldening
Verb
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There was a lot to like about Jovic’s performance on Saturday, with Heat veteran guard Norman Powell pushing and encouraging him along the way.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
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Salt-n-Pepa also joined in, and the group of artists concluded the set with a call-and-response moment alongside the crowd, encouraging everyone to scream along.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Moonshot Museum opened in 2022 and was Pennsylvania's first space museum as well as the first in the world to focus on inspiring young people to pursue a career in the modern space industry.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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Professional sports are rapacious for-profit enterprises that produce wildly entertaining, sometimes violent, and sometimes inspiring athletic competition.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Emboldening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emboldening. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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