1
as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strengthen
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to toughen
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to stiffen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of harden
If companies fail to move fast, the reputational damage can harden.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Cut down on fertilizer to allow new growth to harden off.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Traditional security hardening is no longer enough to combat this threat.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Our sadness and anger must harden into resolve to change — to pursue policies that do more to keep children safe in church, in school, everywhere.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harden
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Cut down on fertilizer to allow new growth to harden off.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025
Traditional security hardening is no longer enough to combat this threat.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Our sadness and anger must harden into resolve to change — to pursue policies that do more to keep children safe in church, in school, everywhere.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harden
Verb
-
Stop watering when the ground freezes and restart the watering routine in spring once garlic starts to sprout.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Emails included in the lawsuit between Zuckerberg and the company's tech support team date back to May 2020, in which similar account freezes from 2017 are mentioned.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But there is really no reason why this should be the case for Pilates—which consists of different low-impact movements to strengthen your core muscles, increase your flexibility, improve your posture and give you more awareness of your body in general.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Wieffer was bought to strengthen Brighton in the centre of the pitch following the summer 2023 sales of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But most recently it has been hit from several sides, most notably stiffening competition primarily from Amazon, off-pricers and membership clubs as well as Walmart and Target.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Lane picked up three on first down, but the Otay Ranch defense stiffened, turning back the next two runs for no gain.—
Kevin J. Farmer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harden. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share