1
as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harden
Underneath the concrete, the soil is hardened once again, and filled with debris.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
As that assumption erodes, attention has shifted from hardening GPS toward security through diversification.
—
Zak Kassas,
The Conversation,
23 June 2026
If Socrates is the intellectual hero of the ancient world, and Jesus the spiritual hero, Odysseus—hardened, brutal, grief-struck, determined to reclaim his home—is the human hero, the whole man.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Use a 1/2 inch-depth of grounds at most and mix them into the soil, as coffee grounds can harden on the soil surface and repel water.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harden
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
As that assumption erodes, attention has shifted from hardening GPS toward security through diversification.
—
Zak Kassas,
The Conversation,
23 June 2026
If Socrates is the intellectual hero of the ancient world, and Jesus the spiritual hero, Odysseus—hardened, brutal, grief-struck, determined to reclaim his home—is the human hero, the whole man.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Use a 1/2 inch-depth of grounds at most and mix them into the soil, as coffee grounds can harden on the soil surface and repel water.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harden
Verb
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Gupta considers the blanket rent freeze a blunt tool that doesn't adequately address the affordability crisis.
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Identity monitoring service Aura can also freeze your credit without requiring you to contact the credit bureaus.
Verb
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Manucurist formulates its masks with panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, to hydrate and strengthen dry nails over time, reducing breakage.
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The only way to preserve our republic is to strengthen the pillars of our present with the mortar of our past.
Verb
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Group 1 is pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and severe version that occurs when blood vessels in the lungs narrow and stiffen.
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Pulisic played a dynamic first half in the Americans' historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay to open their home World Cup nearly two weeks ago, but the AC Milan midfielder came off at halftime after an injury from training stiffened up.
Cite this Entry
“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harden. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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