firming (up)

verb

Definition of firming (up)next
present participle of firm (up)
as in freezing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firming (up)
  1. freezing
  2. hardening
  3. stiffening
Verb
  • Reynolds recommends 2 to 3 feet of dirt on the roof to keep the cellar from freezing.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Daphy Michel, 31, died of hypothermia after being released by ICE in freezing weather wearing summer clothes.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of freezing
Verb
  • Structured as a coming-of-age narrative, the novel sets Lenny’s small domestic world—her parents, her brother Adi, her godmother, and, above all, her Hindu nanny Ayah—against the hardening politics outside it.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • American schools now spend about $4 billion annually on physically hardening their facilities by adding technology such as metal detectors and surveillance cameras, according to the Learning Policy Institute, an education research group.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 July 2026
Definition of hardening
Verb
  • Not to mention their unusually flexible blood vessels could also help compensate for stiffening heart tissue.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Even simple movements can encourage healthy blood flow and keep fascia from stiffening up.
    — Jennifer Heimlich, Time, 27 July 2026
Definition of stiffening
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.

Browse Nearby Words

firmed (up)
firming (up)
firmly
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Cite this Entry

“Firming (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firming%20%28up%29. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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