1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in froze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthened
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 toughened
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 stiffened
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
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Recent Examples of hardened
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
The extruder gears and rods are made from hardened steel, which resists wear.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Even a hardened home has weaknesses—in this case, a flammable window frame and unclosed eaves—that can lead to failure.
—Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Sullivan, the drill instructor whose hardened exterior conceals his own private battles.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Those hardened positions have quashed behind-the-scenes efforts by a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans to work out some sort of mutual understanding or soft deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Pueblo police began investigating the case in January 2024 after someone called 911 about a suspicious metal container filled with hardened concrete in a storage unit in the 600 block of West Sixth Street.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
And his immigration policies seem only to have hardened since then.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Yet on Capitol Hill, the standoff has only hardened.
—Nik Popli, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Some people are emotionally exhausted; others appear to have hardened their hearts.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
These are produced by precisely laying fiber strips in a mold, which is hardened using resins or other plastics to form a component.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
For Palestinians, refugee camps have hardened into towns, and checkpoints into landmarks.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Set aside at room temperature until hardened.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
If picked too early, before the skin has fully hardened, the squash may not be sweet and could be underdeveloped.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Against armored targets, the outer jacket is stripped away upon impact, allowing the hardened steel core to penetrate alone.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
The extruder gears and rods are made from hardened steel, which resists wear.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Even a hardened home has weaknesses—in this case, a flammable window frame and unclosed eaves—that can lead to failure.
—Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
For hardened drops, saturate a cotton ball and place it on the drop for several minutes before wiping away.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
Sullivan, the drill instructor whose hardened exterior conceals his own private battles.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Mann’s Heat starred Al Pacino as a hardened Los Angeles cop named Vincent Hanna who, ignoring his deteriorating personal life, is obsessed with tracking down career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), who wants to pull off one last heist before retiring.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Those hardened positions have quashed behind-the-scenes efforts by a group of moderate Democrats and Republicans to work out some sort of mutual understanding or soft deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Pueblo police began investigating the case in January 2024 after someone called 911 about a suspicious metal container filled with hardened concrete in a storage unit in the 600 block of West Sixth Street.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
It had been hardened too much for an emotion so soft.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
And his immigration policies seem only to have hardened since then.
—Patricia Lopez, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Yet on Capitol Hill, the standoff has only hardened.
—Nik Popli, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Some people are emotionally exhausted; others appear to have hardened their hearts.
—Helen Rummel, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025
These are produced by precisely laying fiber strips in a mold, which is hardened using resins or other plastics to form a component.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
For Palestinians, refugee camps have hardened into towns, and checkpoints into landmarks.
—Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Set aside at room temperature until hardened.
—Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
If picked too early, before the skin has fully hardened, the squash may not be sweet and could be underdeveloped.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The shearling is still fluffy, and the soles are sturdy.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That individual brilliance which can produce a moment of magic to break open a stubborn defence is harder to come by.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Be sure to pay extra attention to stubborn stains.—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The better story won a long time ago and froze into a myth with present-day repercussions.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Under Adams, the board never froze rents.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Less than 24 hours later, Melissa strengthened to major hurricane status.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Although Voodoo had been present in Louisiana since the early 18th century, the influx of Haitian immigrants after the Haitian Revolution (1809), strengthened the practice in the region.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Drew stiffened as Theo Wiggins headed his way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
-
McDaniel made the point that the Dolphins’ defensive line and run defense stiffened somewhat after struggling badly on the first drive.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When temperatures drop well below 0, less cold-hardy azaleas could be killed back to the ground.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The storm hardy island could feel some of the storm’s outer bands, and officials have issued a hurricane warning for the island.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When asked about his name being mentioned as this season’s coaching carnage continues, Danielson — a native of Southern California and graduate of Azusa Pacific University east of Los Angeles — remained adamant in his commitment to Boise State.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Oct. 2025
-
But Díaz-Balart, who sits on the House appropriations committee that helps draft spending bills, insists Republicans won’t cave to demands and is adamant short-term extensions are not the solution.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Smith said Thursday in a news release that Stubblefield leaves behind a legacy of strong, principled leadership.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Toklas went on to fiercely uphold the author’s legacy, honoring Stein’s apparent desire to be understood while at the same time respecting her equally strong wish to remain elusive.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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