as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
wait for the modeling clay to firm up before handling the finished pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firm (up)
Verb
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Kenny Burgos, the CEO of the New York Apartment Association, a landlord lobbying group, said Mamdani’s tenant proposals — including freezing the rent for regulated tenants — would force landlords to cut back on maintenance and services.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026 -
Right now, the city has paused hiring and spending at Boston Public Schools due to the budget gap there, and a city spokesperson told the Herald in a statement that the mayor is freezing spending to address the city’s shortfall.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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As ideological blocs collapsed, political scientist Samuel Huntington’s influential 1996 book Clash of Civilizations articulated a growing anxiety that globalization would harden into cultural antagonism rather than consensus.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Firm (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firm%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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