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
These oysters once existed in the millions here but were decimated by dredging, pollution and shoreline hardening.
—
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
But what’s really needed are additional air-defense systems to protect substations and power plants, as well as more transformers and grid-hardening equipment.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
The metal gears – double the size of those in the previous generation and treated with a surface-hardening process Specialized calls HardDrive – resist the thermal expansion that makes motors noisy and sluggish at the end of a long descent.
—New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
These colossal features — which appear even more imposing through a pair of 10X50 binoculars — are essentially scabs that formed billions of years ago when masses of liquid lava flooded the open wounds left by asteroid strikes, before hardening in the extreme space environment.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardening
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
But what’s really needed are additional air-defense systems to protect substations and power plants, as well as more transformers and grid-hardening equipment.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
The metal gears – double the size of those in the previous generation and treated with a surface-hardening process Specialized calls HardDrive – resist the thermal expansion that makes motors noisy and sluggish at the end of a long descent.
—New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2026
These colossal features — which appear even more imposing through a pair of 10X50 binoculars — are essentially scabs that formed billions of years ago when masses of liquid lava flooded the open wounds left by asteroid strikes, before hardening in the extreme space environment.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hardening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardening
Verb
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After a messy morning, the freezing rain threat in Philadelphia has ended, with temperatures now above freezing.—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
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During the winter and early spring, dormant vegetation — especially grass cured by freezing temperatures — becomes prime fuel when paired with dry, warm and windy weather.—
Mary Wasson,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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President Charles Schattenberg, who joined after years with a national PEO, has been instrumental in strengthening the operational backbone.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
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Mojtaba Khamenei, the former leader’s son and one of the most influential figures in the Iranian clerical establishment, has reportedly survived US and Israeli strikes against him, strengthening his hand.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The machine dryer agitates the clothing and prevents fibers from stiffening during drying, which is why clothing comes out feeling soft.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
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The Czech Republic’s new government will seek to transform the defense industry into an engine of the nation’s export economy as the flagship auto sector faces stiffening competition, Karel Havlicek, minister for industry and trade, told us.—
Suzanne Lynch,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardening. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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