as in strengthens
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 harshens
Verb
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The latest, published in Nature today, strengthens the case that LAP1-B is an early cosmic puzzle piece packed with material freshly manufactured by dying Population III stars.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026 -
Pacific Ocean projections for 2026 An array of model images, including these from the North American multi-modal ensemble model, project water in the Pacific Ocean will be much warmer than normal by summer, as an El Niño strengthens.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Verb
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Golden State’s schedule stiffens with an upcoming trip to New York and Indiana.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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The rings arise because the metal softens as the can compresses, then stiffens, then compresses and stiffens again, repeating the pattern until the compression is complete—akin to something called homoclinic snaking.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Harshens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshens. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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