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
Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
The tool will also ship with either a graphite marking tip - essentially a compact graphite pencil for layout work - or a hardened metal scribing tip for marking metal surfaces.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 05, New Atlas, 5 Mar. 2026
These vehicles often use hardened shelters or underground garages.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
The Defense Department released a blueprint in January for hardening bases against drones that slip past air defenses, outlining measures for commanders, including netting to trap or prematurely detonate incoming drones and additional hardened overhead cover.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
But the hardened assets come at a premium.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In a post-apocalyptic Africa where people with supernatural abilities are hunted, a hardened ex-soldier must traverse through the dangerous remnants of civilization to deliver her gifted sister to sanctuary.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Fabric layers mesh and bond; glass pellets, mother-of-pearl beads, and cables get nestled into crevices, trapped under hardened strata of varnish.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
The greatest concern, however, is over the Ghwayran Prison in al-Hasakah, where thousands of hardened ISIS inmates are still being held.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 3 Mar. 2026
The surge in Crete last year hardened political positions in Athens.
—Lefteris Pitarakis, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
The surge in Crete last year hardened political positions in Athens.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026
That our divorce, though managed with comparative civility, caused our daughter abiding pain hardened my resolve to cap my output at one.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Scientists believe the ridges formed when ancient groundwater circulated through fractures in the rock, depositing minerals that hardened certain zones.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
DeJan was dispatched to Shaffner-Heaney Associates in South Bend, Indiana, in the spring of 2023 to manage the Scrabble board of letters from the speech, made of high performance concrete letters hardened in fiberglass molds.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Beijing reacted angrily in November when new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned against Chinese aggression towards Taiwan, and China’s position has hardened since her landslide election victory this month.
—semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Experts said that the warm weather in January hardened the existing snow, covering it with feet of soft powder, and increasing avalanche risk.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
The medical examiner ruled her death the result of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or hardened arteries, possibly due to a hereditary disorder.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
The tool will also ship with either a graphite marking tip - essentially a compact graphite pencil for layout work - or a hardened metal scribing tip for marking metal surfaces.
—Omar Kardoudi
march 05, New Atlas, 5 Mar. 2026
These vehicles often use hardened shelters or underground garages.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026
The Defense Department released a blueprint in January for hardening bases against drones that slip past air defenses, outlining measures for commanders, including netting to trap or prematurely detonate incoming drones and additional hardened overhead cover.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
But the hardened assets come at a premium.
—Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In a post-apocalyptic Africa where people with supernatural abilities are hunted, a hardened ex-soldier must traverse through the dangerous remnants of civilization to deliver her gifted sister to sanctuary.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Fabric layers mesh and bond; glass pellets, mother-of-pearl beads, and cables get nestled into crevices, trapped under hardened strata of varnish.
—Theo Belci, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
The greatest concern, however, is over the Ghwayran Prison in al-Hasakah, where thousands of hardened ISIS inmates are still being held.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Verb
Within the country there was also quite a bit of criticism that the Israel Defense Forces were physically out of shape and the commanders were not up to the task of facing a battle hardened Hezbollah.
—Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 3 Mar. 2026
The surge in Crete last year hardened political positions in Athens.
—Lefteris Pitarakis, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
The surge in Crete last year hardened political positions in Athens.
—ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026
That our divorce, though managed with comparative civility, caused our daughter abiding pain hardened my resolve to cap my output at one.
—Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
Scientists believe the ridges formed when ancient groundwater circulated through fractures in the rock, depositing minerals that hardened certain zones.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
DeJan was dispatched to Shaffner-Heaney Associates in South Bend, Indiana, in the spring of 2023 to manage the Scrabble board of letters from the speech, made of high performance concrete letters hardened in fiberglass molds.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Beijing reacted angrily in November when new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned against Chinese aggression towards Taiwan, and China’s position has hardened since her landslide election victory this month.
—semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Experts said that the warm weather in January hardened the existing snow, covering it with feet of soft powder, and increasing avalanche risk.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 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,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Choose varieties that produce long, sturdy stems and blooms.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Early connections should feel easier as affectionate Venus forms a supportive sextile with intense Pluto, encouraging us to handle stubborn issues with honest talks and practical teamwork.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Spend less time focusing on prep and cleaning and more time focusing on the food with our favorite kitchen tools, which can make poached eggs in minutes, reseal bags of ingredients, open stubborn jars, and more.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Frozen lakes mattered so much to the city that records of when the ice froze each year go back more than 100 years.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
3 Mar. 2026
-
But even before that, fear of such attacks froze ship traffic.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The development effort includes strengthened safety standards built directly into the ship design.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Major oil and gas producers in the Persian Gulf region curbed output as the US-Israeli war with Iran showed no sign of resolution, while the dollar strengthened against all of its major peers.—
Robin Paxton,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Democrats in Congress stiffened their opposition to an appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to a partial government shutdown.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 Feb. 2026
-
As the Timberwolves’ defense stiffened, their shots finally started falling.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Want to know just how hardy bee balm is?—
Lauren David,
Martha Stewart,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The plants are hardy in USDA Zones 8-10.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What is that key meant to represent, and why was Mycroft so adamant about Sherlock literally and figuratively closing that book and moving on with his life?—
Max Gao,
Variety,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Getting everyone on board As the legislative committee develops initiatives to help cut down red tape, Wicks is adamant that new state regulations are just one piece of the puzzle that municipalities must also solve.—
Amancai Biraben,
Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The strong currents from flash floods can pull drivers off roadways.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Tokyo has shown no interest in military involvement, but some experts believe the conflict could bolster Takaichi's push for a stronger military and expanded weapons sales.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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