1
as in freezing
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
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2
as in strengthening
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 toughening
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 stiffening
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 hardening
With the administration’s hardening attitude toward immigrants, asylum-seekers are struggling with a more chaotic environment and challenging bureaucracy.
—
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Dec. 2025
Guterres said such unilateral actions risk deepening divisions, hardening positions and accelerating fragmentation, with potential spillover effects on regional security, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
By foregrounding things like ancient waterways and table tennis, China is deploying a sophisticated brand of cultural statecraft designed to soften the edges of a hardening geopolitical landscape.
—Xianda Huang, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Some evidence suggests beta-glucan prevents atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and neurodegenerative diseases.
—Cynthia Sass, Health, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardening
Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Dec. 2025
Guterres said such unilateral actions risk deepening divisions, hardening positions and accelerating fragmentation, with potential spillover effects on regional security, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025
By foregrounding things like ancient waterways and table tennis, China is deploying a sophisticated brand of cultural statecraft designed to soften the edges of a hardening geopolitical landscape.
—Xianda Huang, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Some evidence suggests beta-glucan prevents atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and neurodegenerative diseases.
—Cynthia Sass, Health, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardening
Verb
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So the eyes' location, protection from blinking eyelids and constant tear production work in unison to keep them from freezing.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The temperature barely made it above the freezing mark over the weekend when the team was scheduled to have its second preseason scrimmage.—
Matt Jones,
Arkansas Online,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Celtics, who took three of four from the Pacers, improved to 27-16, strengthening their grip on second place in the East standings.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
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For example, only one in four US adults currently meet national guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.—
Dr. Richard Zhang,
ABC News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These include stiffening of blood vessels, changes in heart muscle function and impaired ability of the cardiovascular system to respond to exertion.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
16 Jan. 2026
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About the setup In this baseball setup, the robots use soft joints and adaptive control systems to avoid breaking or stiffening up on impact.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardening. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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