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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The strikes have left tens of thousands of people across the country without power or heating amid freezing winter temperatures.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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Typically, temperatures should be just above freezing for the beginning of January.—
Karen Carter,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In late 2025, underwater archaeologists working in Lake Issyk-Kul reported a major breakthrough at the Toru-Aygyr complex, strengthening the case for a true medieval city rather than a minor outpost.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
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If breakage or dryness have your strands in disarray, the right formula can support strengthening strands and improving scalp conditions.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Glamour,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Look for signs like the cat stopping purring, stiffening, thrashing their tail, or hissing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardening. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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