firms (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of firm (up)
as in freezes
to become physically firm or solid wait for the modeling clay to firm up before handling the finished pot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firms (up)
  1. freezes
  2. hardens
  3. stiffens
Verb
  • The Chicago River freezes faster than Lake Michigan because the water moves less, creating another set of hazards for firefighters.
    — Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • One way is to water the soil around your boxwoods deeply before the ground freezes.
    — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of freezes
Verb
  • The thermometer scenario is about whether harvest volatility quietly hardens into harvest decline.
    — Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Once pressure hardens into price, policy, habit, infrastructure, or culture, the choices narrow.
    — Frank Diana, Time, 30 July 2026
Definition of hardens
Verb
  • This remains soft during low-energy movement but stiffens upon high-impact force.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
  • For seven-and-a-half years, Ladd had dealt with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive lung disease that stiffens and scars the lungs.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 24 June 2026
Definition of stiffens
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.

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firms (up)
firm (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Firms (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firms%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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