heightened 1 of 2

heightened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of heighten

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of heightened
Adjective
Mauricio Calvo, president and CEO of advocacy organization Latino Memphis, said some people have shut themselves in their homes because of the heightened immigration enforcement and concerns over racial profiling. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 But many experts think nuclear war is more likely to escalate out of a conventional conflict or during a time of heightened tensions between nuclear powers. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 24 Oct. 2025 The coming days are likely to see heightened patrols, exercises, and diplomatic maneuvering as each side tests the other’s resolve. Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025 There’s a heightened level of uncertainty. Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Now that she's moved back home to Indiana, Wyatt says living with her boyfriend and close to her dad has brought her a heightened sense of safety. Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 The Chinese economy’s overreliance on exports at a time of heightened trade tensions with Washington might push Beijing to find a better policy balance in coming years, although analysts expect efforts to be slow. Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025 For the last 15 or so years, celebrities have been, in general, more trussed up, as red carpets have become a heightened economic prospective for stars and designers alike. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 BofA also points to a record 54% of investors who now believe that AI stocks are in a bubble, according to its most recent Global Fund Manager Survey—another reason for heightened vigilance around the market’s uneasy exuberance. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
In the weeks after, decks of cards spotlighting other CEOs and executives circulated on social media, which heightened the threat climate as did Mangione’s public reception as quasi vigilante, Kucera said. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025 The lighthearted moment played against a trending audio that only heightened its comedic touch. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025 Financial sacrifices, dilemmas loom Norfolk military families said the shutdown had heightened the stakes of their financial choices, from comparison-shopping for the cheapest toilet paper to frequenting Costco to buy in bulk. Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 The federal investigation heightened the public’s scrutiny of city officials who worked closely with the former mayor, including Duffey, who had overseen the Public Works Department when the city sought a new security contractor to guard City Hall and other municipal facilities. Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 Here, the stakes are heightened far past the point of a lawsuit. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025 Exercise heightened caution during this period. Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025 The investigation engaged her whole body, heightened her senses. Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025 If convicted, James faces a maximum of 30 years in prison on each count and a fine of up to $1 million — penalties heightened by Congress during the 1990s savings and loan crisis. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heightened
Adjective
  • The surface-to-surface weapon system provides the Joint Force Commander with increased range, lethality, survivability, and missile load out.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Miners argue increased subjection to the dust has led to an eruption of black lung, an incurable disease associated with inhaling the particles.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Negotiations between the Nuggets, Braun, and Duffy intensified over the weekend, culminating in an agreement that satisfied both sides.
    Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
  • But the Russian leader hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.
    Chris Megerian, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On the surface, Çiftlik Bank—Turkish for Farm Bank—was little more than a FarmVille rip-off; the functionality for tending to digital crops and livestock was lifted more or less straight from their competitor.
    Moisés Naím, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
  • The crowd can get so tight that people are lifted off the ground beneath them.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While driving - Stick to the middle lanes and stay on elevated ground.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Springer could not touch an elevated fastball.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Canada and Mexico have deepened ties, including promising to boost bilateral trade.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
  • And today, many economic analysts and historians argue that high tariff legislation passed back in that period, called the Smoot-Hawley tariff, greatly deepened the depression and prevented economic recovery.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But the fact the buyer was the eyewear giant raised a few eyebrows.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Since 1991, the Person of the Year gala has raised funds to support those programs.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • However, energy analysts point to the high costs of setting up in a new remote environment in harsh weather without local infrastructure, labor, or equipment.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • However, Cox said via email last week that the cost of new construction and the site topography where the old police headquarters stood drove the cost up so high that the location was not the best choice.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The new sedan also integrates BYD’s latest Tianshen C driver-assistance suite, which adds adaptive cruise, lane-centering, and enhanced safety automation to support more comfortable long-distance driving.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The 8-mm manual focusing lens has a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels, which can be enhanced to simulate 512 × 384 pixels.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Heightened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heightened. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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