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
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Recent Examples of fortifying
Major powers are developing advanced anti-satellite weapons and fortifying their space infrastructure, with Russia and China investing in counterspace capabilities.
—
Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
It is primarily tasked with repairing and fortifying the city’s more than 210,000 streetlamps — a frequent target of copper wire thieves — and maintaining its network of electrical vehicle charging stations.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The five-day trade fair drew Black businesspersons from dozens of states, fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
More picks offer more chances at fortifying their roster, or more trade ammunition to move up for a quarterback in a strong draft class next spring.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Microsoft is aggressively fortifying its weak spots.
—Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Hazard mitigation efforts can include adding storm shutters; fortifying a roof to protect against hail, wind or wildfires; and retrofitting a home to better withstand earthquakes, for example, experts said.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 2 June 2026
The needling didn’t prevent Smith from aggressively fortifying the roster with in-season trades.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Butka’s arrival continues a growing trend this offseason at Boise State, which is fortifying its inside game with taller, stronger bodies.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Zita Ballinger Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
It is primarily tasked with repairing and fortifying the city’s more than 210,000 streetlamps — a frequent target of copper wire thieves — and maintaining its network of electrical vehicle charging stations.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
The five-day trade fair drew Black businesspersons from dozens of states, fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026
More picks offer more chances at fortifying their roster, or more trade ammunition to move up for a quarterback in a strong draft class next spring.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026
Microsoft is aggressively fortifying its weak spots.
—Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 2 June 2026
Hazard mitigation efforts can include adding storm shutters; fortifying a roof to protect against hail, wind or wildfires; and retrofitting a home to better withstand earthquakes, for example, experts said.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 2 June 2026
The needling didn’t prevent Smith from aggressively fortifying the roster with in-season trades.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Butka’s arrival continues a growing trend this offseason at Boise State, which is fortifying its inside game with taller, stronger bodies.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifying
Verb
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Markets are losing hope that the Federal Reserve will lower rates anytime soon and are bracing for potential increases, but the deluge of capital being raised by companies signals financial conditions are already somewhat easy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
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As temperatures rise, many of these businesses are already bracing for the summer rush.—
Gabby Sartori,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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In February, Anthropic contributed $20 million toward an effort to elect congressional candidates who favor strengthening AI safeguards.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
After strengthening briefly, the storm is expected to make its way onto land, tracking to the northeast along the coast of Texas into southern Louisiana through Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.—
Michael Autovino,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifying. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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