1
as in freezes
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 strengthens
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 toughens
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 stiffens
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 hardens
The presence of an external enemy unifies the security forces, hardens their resolve, prevents defections, and makes internal fractures less likely.
—
Omid Memarian, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
The shoots are harvested before the plant hardens into the woody stalks that bamboo is famous for — and that pandas chew.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Then the storm moves on, the sun returns, and the surface hardens again, cracked and chalky, as if the place is trying to erase the evidence that water ever touched it.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
But her attitude toward them eventually hardens.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
The allegations against Brian Jordan Alvarez complicate the experience of enjoying English Teacher, especially in the moments when the show’s breezy tone hardens into dismissiveness.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Soft power that hardens into partnerships, pipelines, and actual policy shifts.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ciri missing and Vilgefortz still at large, Yennefer’s ambition hardens into purpose.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The confession struck him as both raw and deeply tragic, a glimpse of how ambition hardens into captivity.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Omid Memarian, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
The shoots are harvested before the plant hardens into the woody stalks that bamboo is famous for — and that pandas chew.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Then the storm moves on, the sun returns, and the surface hardens again, cracked and chalky, as if the place is trying to erase the evidence that water ever touched it.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 1 Jan. 2026
But her attitude toward them eventually hardens.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Dec. 2025
The allegations against Brian Jordan Alvarez complicate the experience of enjoying English Teacher, especially in the moments when the show’s breezy tone hardens into dismissiveness.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Soft power that hardens into partnerships, pipelines, and actual policy shifts.
—Essence, 6 Nov. 2025
With Ciri missing and Vilgefortz still at large, Yennefer’s ambition hardens into purpose.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The confession struck him as both raw and deeply tragic, a glimpse of how ambition hardens into captivity.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardens
Verb
-
As temperatures rapidly fall, the water quickly freezes in small cracks and areas of underground water.—
Tammie Souza,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
When a robot freezes mid-conversation or powers down without warning.—
Grace Brown,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trust that tending to your foundations strengthens your public success.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If money, knowledge, or labor feel uneven, propose simple rules and choose transparency, because trust strengthens when everyone sees the same numbers.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The luxury retailer, weighed down by debt, is under pressure as consumers shift their shopping habits and competition stiffens.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The schedule stiffens over the final four with Green Bay and Jacksonville at home, a Christmas night game at Kansas City and then Week 18 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hardens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardens. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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