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harshening

verb

present participle of harshen
as in strengthening
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe recent changes to the drunk driving laws harshen penalties for repeat offenders

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshening
  1. strengthening
  2. stiffening
Verb
  • Crews continued mopping up the fire Monday, strengthening containment lines and extinguishing hot spots at least 300 feet inside the perimeter.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Spain’s Secuoya Studios has tapped Carla Gómez as head of development and executive producer for Latin America, strengthening its creative and production operations in the region.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of strengthening
Verb
  • Offering a 35% incentive aimed at stiffening up jobs here and enticing post-production to relocate to the Golden State, AB 2319 is racing toward a vote in the state Senate by next week once the bill is in final shape.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Softening rather than stiffening when moving through space requires embracing your body’s natural sway and tiny micro-movements, like an ankle wobbling or knee jiggling.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of stiffening
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

harshened
harshening
harshens
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Cite this Entry

“Harshening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshening. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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