1
as in bracing
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthening
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
he downed another granola bar to fortify himself for the rest of the bike ride
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in hardening
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortifying
Iran already appears to be preparing for this option by fortifying its defenses around its nuclear assets, satellite images from Vantor indicate.
—
Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Inside church walls, some are already fortifying rooms and stockpiling food and blankets.
—Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
The five-day trade fair draws Black businesspersons from dozens of states fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
If healthy, Burrow (5-3 as a starter in 2025) will help significantly elevate the Bengals, as will a free agency and draft devoted to fortifying the defense.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Sandoval was one of about 90 people who participated in a January 2026 whistle-kit building event with the aim of setting up and fortifying a system to alert metro Detroit community members to the presence of immigration agents.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In public, Newsom speaks often and openly about his errors, fortifying his image as a bumptious, slightly hapless victim of his own enthusiasms.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The ensuing film combines soul with CGI, fortifying the lofty reputation Pixar had already built by 2001, just six years into its theatrical run.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Instead of fortifying their position, the Pats watched while a few competitors stocked up around them.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Inside church walls, some are already fortifying rooms and stockpiling food and blankets.
—Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
The five-day trade fair draws Black businesspersons from dozens of states fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
If healthy, Burrow (5-3 as a starter in 2025) will help significantly elevate the Bengals, as will a free agency and draft devoted to fortifying the defense.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Sandoval was one of about 90 people who participated in a January 2026 whistle-kit building event with the aim of setting up and fortifying a system to alert metro Detroit community members to the presence of immigration agents.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 5 Feb. 2026
In public, Newsom speaks often and openly about his errors, fortifying his image as a bumptious, slightly hapless victim of his own enthusiasms.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
The ensuing film combines soul with CGI, fortifying the lofty reputation Pixar had already built by 2001, just six years into its theatrical run.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Instead of fortifying their position, the Pats watched while a few competitors stocked up around them.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifying
Verb
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Meanwhile, rank-and-file employees in America’s movie capital appear to be bracing for an Ellison era.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
27 Feb. 2026
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Wall Street analysts are bracing for a volatile road ahead for CoreWeave as its massive infrastructure ramp pressures margins and drives up costs.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Olive and June product can also be applied daily to bare nails as an intensive strengthening treatment that not only fortifies your claws, but also repairs ridges, discoloration, and pesky peeling along the way.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
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He is focused on strengthening economic opportunity through workforce readiness and housing stability, and restoring trust through transparency, accountability and lawful governance, according to his campaign website.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifying. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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