harshening

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshening
Verb
  • Building and strengthening one-on-one relationships is the way to grow and defend yourself.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Merrill even walked with two outs to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but Ryan O’Hearn struck out to end a loss that prevented the Padres from truly strengthening their postseason position.
    Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Yet that comes as experts say competition among convenience stores is stiffening.
    Natalie Rice, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
  • But most recently it has been hit from several sides, most notably stiffening competition primarily from Amazon, off-pricers and membership clubs as well as Walmart and Target.
    David Moin, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Harshening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshening. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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