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
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 hardened
Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Scrape off any hardened grease and wash it with soap and water before your next barbecue session.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
With Hathaway as a hardened journalist who haplessly lands herself into the center of a conflict in El Salvador, the film is somewhat at sea, allowing itself and the audience to get swept away by an unmoored plot.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
That step would signal a change in how the military plans to counter hardened and time-sensitive targets in the region.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
They were armed with powerful, hardened beaks and likely had high intelligence.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Hot water is especially helpful for greasy pans, oily dishes, or anything with hardened food residue.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
In that sense, the discussion around hardened container images reflects a larger shift.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
To minimize the risk of this happening, teams may choose pre-hardened images from containerization services that have already secured their images.
—Felysha Walker, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 May 2026
One that shows the intense rightward swing that has only hardened as the lines between hip-hop and the streaming universe have blurred.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026
The airstrike on the Haret Hreik neighborhood targeted the leader of the Radwan forces, Hezbollah’s elite and battle-hardened fighting unit, Israeli authorities said.
—Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Once plants are hardened off, they can be transplanted into the garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
Teen Shauna is hardened by the brutal losses of winter, and adult Taissa responds differently to reminders of the wilderness with Van by her side.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Emery prefers his players to be battle-hardened and to be involved in matches, rather than just training.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
As the industry has expanded, public opinion has hardened against it.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Joan of Arc armor in the form of hardened corsets, even breastplates, were built into a number of dresses.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Scrape off any hardened grease and wash it with soap and water before your next barbecue session.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
With Hathaway as a hardened journalist who haplessly lands herself into the center of a conflict in El Salvador, the film is somewhat at sea, allowing itself and the audience to get swept away by an unmoored plot.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
That step would signal a change in how the military plans to counter hardened and time-sensitive targets in the region.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
They were armed with powerful, hardened beaks and likely had high intelligence.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Hot water is especially helpful for greasy pans, oily dishes, or anything with hardened food residue.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
In that sense, the discussion around hardened container images reflects a larger shift.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026
To minimize the risk of this happening, teams may choose pre-hardened images from containerization services that have already secured their images.
—Felysha Walker, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
The presidential planes are fitted with special communications equipment, hardened against nuclear blasts, and contain classified defensive measures.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 8 May 2026
One that shows the intense rightward swing that has only hardened as the lines between hip-hop and the streaming universe have blurred.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026
The airstrike on the Haret Hreik neighborhood targeted the leader of the Radwan forces, Hezbollah’s elite and battle-hardened fighting unit, Israeli authorities said.
—Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Once plants are hardened off, they can be transplanted into the garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 May 2026
Teen Shauna is hardened by the brutal losses of winter, and adult Taissa responds differently to reminders of the wilderness with Van by her side.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room.
—Jonathan J. Cooper, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Emery prefers his players to be battle-hardened and to be involved in matches, rather than just training.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
As the industry has expanded, public opinion has hardened against it.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
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,
8 May 2026
-
Build something sturdy enough that generosity becomes a choice rather than a sacrifice.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Abby, how does one work with stubborn husbands?—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
-
Ahead, Katie Sullivan, the director of issue communications at the American Cleaning Institute, shares the best way to remove sticky, greasy residue from pot lids, at-home solutions for tackling even the most stubborn residue, and the one mistake to avoid that can make cleanup more difficult.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
How the Slurpee became an American staple The Slurpee traces its roots back to the 1960s, when businessman Omar Knedlik developed a machine that partially froze soft drinks after noticing customers enjoyed semi-frozen sodas at his Dairy Queen franchise in Kansas.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
As a result, Pashinyan froze Armenia’s membership in the CSTO in February 2024.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Like Armenia, Kazakhstan has also strengthened its relationship with Western countries and organizations while slowly distancing itself from the Russian Federation.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Its presence has strengthened the country’s military capacity and helped stabilize the regime, at least temporarily, according to Nsaibia.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The journey of King Charles and the Queen consort had been planned for some time, well before relations between the United Kingdom and the United States stiffened due to international tensions, compounded by the assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.—
Giorgia Olivieri,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other heuchera species and hardy hybrid plants offer a greater range of colors, although some are not as cold-hardy and are more sensitive to soil and sun conditions.—
Judy Nauseef,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
-
As a hardy plant that can withstand cold temperatures and even frost, DePaola explains, asparagus also thrives in areas with cool winters and warm summers.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
The French film industry is very adamant about showing films in theaters and maintaining a long theatrical window.—
John Ross,
Vanity Fair,
7 May 2026
-
Be adamant, not alarmist, as Mars squares off with Jupiter.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Lewis-Skelly and Calafiori continued to provide balance against Atletico three days later, and were also key components to Arsenal’s strong start against West Ham, alongside Leandro Trossard.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
The case that Ashton and Bradley heavily influenced each other is stronger, if also strained.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
