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
Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 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
Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Jan. 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
The Torah calls it a hardened heart.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Microwave one cup of water for three to five minutes to soften hardened food residue, and allow the mixture to sit for up to 15 additional minutes, if needed.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
The hardened lava flow is still visible aboveground; underwater, though, the reefs have rebounded.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
That Washington won its season finale Sunday over the Eagles, playing mostly starters against mostly Eagles backups, could calcify a hardened heart — or, someone hoping the Commanders would rise up from the seventh pick in the first round of April’s draft.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The soft landing has hardened into a mathematical wall.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Cold-hardy seedlings can be transplanted early if hardened off and protected from frost.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
But by the time of Pretti’s killing – and with public anger rising – the tone of state officials hardened, promising a serious inquiry, whatever the challenges.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
For years, this unspoken truth has hardened her, shaping her into a woman of precision and emotional distance — a mother who learned survival through silence.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Plants can be hardened off in greenhouses and cold frames by simply opening the doors of these structures during the day and closing them again at night.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
But, this year, as the temperature refused to rise above freezing, what remained hardened into ice, and settled.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
It’s been a week since a foot of snow fell on the city, and what was once fluff quickly turned into slush and has now hardened into ice.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
This puts it safely within the light cruise missile-grade of loitering munitions, suggesting it is probably intended for use against hardened or high-value targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Feb. 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
Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Jan. 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
The Torah calls it a hardened heart.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
Microwave one cup of water for three to five minutes to soften hardened food residue, and allow the mixture to sit for up to 15 additional minutes, if needed.
—Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026
The hardened lava flow is still visible aboveground; underwater, though, the reefs have rebounded.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
That Washington won its season finale Sunday over the Eagles, playing mostly starters against mostly Eagles backups, could calcify a hardened heart — or, someone hoping the Commanders would rise up from the seventh pick in the first round of April’s draft.
—David Aldridge, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
Although a good portion of this album still sounds like Kurt Vile going through a Sly Stone phase, the kumbaya squishiness of the past few records has hardened into a brisk antagonism.
—Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
The soft landing has hardened into a mathematical wall.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2026
Cold-hardy seedlings can be transplanted early if hardened off and protected from frost.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
But by the time of Pretti’s killing – and with public anger rising – the tone of state officials hardened, promising a serious inquiry, whatever the challenges.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
For years, this unspoken truth has hardened her, shaping her into a woman of precision and emotional distance — a mother who learned survival through silence.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
Plants can be hardened off in greenhouses and cold frames by simply opening the doors of these structures during the day and closing them again at night.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
But, this year, as the temperature refused to rise above freezing, what remained hardened into ice, and settled.
—Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
It’s been a week since a foot of snow fell on the city, and what was once fluff quickly turned into slush and has now hardened into ice.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened
Adjective
-
Better Homes & Gardens Ezra Outdoor Adirondack Chair There are few chairs more classic and durable than an Adirondack chair, and this under-$200 sturdy option is one to add to your front porch, deck, or backyard.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
-
One of the world’s sturdiest planes, a C-130, was on standby at Rawalpindi air base to ferry the body to the man’s village.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
One person refuses to bow — not an army, not a revolution, one stubborn Jew minding his own business — and Haman cannot function.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Scrub gently with a soft sponge or brush, focusing on stubborn areas.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The plan froze property values for two years after the 2024 appraisal was done, meaning if the property value goes up or down based on the economic climate, the property’s value won’t actually change until the next appraisal is done in 2027.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The prolonged low temperatures froze rivers, lakes and bays, providing some of the best ice boating conditions in decades.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The bullpen will also be strengthened with the additions of Matt Strahm, Nick Mears and Alex Lange this offseason.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 Feb. 2026
-
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the Timberwolves’ defense stiffened, their shots finally started falling.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Outrage from the left about that maneuver stiffened Democratic spirits for a confrontation in the fall.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
After years of drought in the Everglades, the ecosystem’s population of the only type of apple snail native to Florida failed to recover, pushing the birds to rely on hardier, non-native species.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
-
While there will always be new cleaning gadgets and solutions to try, sometimes the best thing to do is shop your local thrift store for some good, hardy basics.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the heartbreaking details surrounding Dane’s death and his disease, Dempsey was adamant about remembering Dane before his ALS diagnosis.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 Feb. 2026
-
My dad was clear and adamant that his choice was to stay in Minneapolis.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The sport, therefore, has a strong relationship with the military, with troops in such environments regularly skinning up mountains before skiing back down.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Officers reportedly detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the driver, later identified as Lisboa.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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