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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Chief among them would be policies that encourage home hardening such as vegetation management.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Over time, this plaque buildup can lead to hardening and narrowing of the arteries.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Wilson’s absolutist rhetoric makes nuanced immigration reform harder by alienating potential allies and hardening opposition.
—Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Traditional security hardening is no longer enough to combat this threat.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardening
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025
Over time, this plaque buildup can lead to hardening and narrowing of the arteries.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 6 Oct. 2025
Wilson’s absolutist rhetoric makes nuanced immigration reform harder by alienating potential allies and hardening opposition.
—Letters To The Editor, Oc Register, 14 Sep. 2025
Traditional security hardening is no longer enough to combat this threat.
—David Bennett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hardening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardening
Verb
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Mikie Sherrill, the successful Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, made freezing electric rates a centerpiece of her victorious campaign, and got huge applause in mentioning the issue in her victory speech.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Temperatures will plummet below freezing early Monday thanks to a blast of Canadian air, the weather service said.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Corps proposed strengthening the bank by implementing riprap, or rocks.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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According to the National Weather Service, a strengthening cold front is making its way across the country toward Nashville.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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Afterwards, a squaring solution—a powdery mixture of water and a gel-like batter used in the decorative cake business—is applied to the inside of the hat’s crown to act as a stiffening agent.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardening. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
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