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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortifying
The serum is formulated with a holy grail powerhouse that consists of a fortifying complex, firming complex, and Matrixyl 3000—all pivotal for minimizing signs of aging.
—
Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
Analysts noted similar activity occurred before last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer strikes, suggesting a pattern of fortifying critical facilities in anticipation of attacks.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Mar. 2026
Elevating their expertise and fortifying their decades-long involvement in the process of independent evaluation and guidance is critical to restore public trust in federal policymaking.
—Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
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
Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
Analysts noted similar activity occurred before last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer strikes, suggesting a pattern of fortifying critical facilities in anticipation of attacks.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 12 Mar. 2026
Elevating their expertise and fortifying their decades-long involvement in the process of independent evaluation and guidance is critical to restore public trust in federal policymaking.
—Jerome Adams, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifying
Verb
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So House Republicans are bracing for a flurry of attempts to tack on more, including the voter ID and citizenship verification bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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In the Bay Area, counties are bracing for catastrophic losses; Santa Clara County alone projects a shortfall of up to $1 billion over the next few years, forcing local governments to scramble for regressive sales taxes to fund what progressive federal taxes once covered.—
Markos Kounalakis,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Although United want to add two midfielders, doing both at a price point in the £70m-plus region — echoing their three big signings last summer — might be beyond their finances this time round, given the further squad strengthening required.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Organized by the Malta Film Commission, the festival is set to grow in both scale and ambition this year, with an enlarged program of screenings, industry events and cultural offerings aimed at strengthening Malta’s role as an international filmmaking hub.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifying. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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