1
as in intensifying
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
several controversial measures have heightened parental awareness of the impact of school policy decisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lifting
to move from a lower to a higher place or position
heightened the hem on her skirt just a couple of inches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in strengthening
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heightening
Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
January’s energy is heightening your creative side and invites a playful, loving energy into your interactions.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Composer Deantoni Parks’s score sustains and amplifies the tension, heightening the creeping pretense of water rushing forward and the punishing breathlessness of struggling back upstream.
—Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Today, Zendaya seemingly wore a Bumpit—the very hair-heightening apparatus made famous by the Jersey Shore star—to the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 30 Sep. 2025
Our ability to love is expanding and heightening.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
The Hill’s Niall Stanage writes that the shocking killing of Kirk is heightening fears over the nation’s path.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Six Chinese nationals were recently detained in Subic Bay on espionage charges, further heightening mistrust.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Tomorrow marks Alibaba’s 26th anniversary, with a press conference scheduled, heightening speculation about a major restructuring.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
Just a day later, Neptune retrograde shifts into Pisces, heightening intuition and deepening emotional awareness with entirely new depth.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
With Mercury and later the sun in Scorpio, your communication sector becomes supercharged, heightening your psychic receptivity and investigative nature.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
January’s energy is heightening your creative side and invites a playful, loving energy into your interactions.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Composer Deantoni Parks’s score sustains and amplifies the tension, heightening the creeping pretense of water rushing forward and the punishing breathlessness of struggling back upstream.
—Anne Reeve, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
Today, Zendaya seemingly wore a Bumpit—the very hair-heightening apparatus made famous by the Jersey Shore star—to the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 30 Sep. 2025
Our ability to love is expanding and heightening.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 17 Sep. 2025
The Hill’s Niall Stanage writes that the shocking killing of Kirk is heightening fears over the nation’s path.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Six Chinese nationals were recently detained in Subic Bay on espionage charges, further heightening mistrust.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Tomorrow marks Alibaba’s 26th anniversary, with a press conference scheduled, heightening speculation about a major restructuring.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heightening
Verb
-
The year Goldberg-Polin and her family arrived in Israel, the country launched Operation Cast Lead, a massive military operation aimed at halting intensifying Hamas mortar, missile and rocket fire terrorizing southern Israeli communities.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The launch comes amid intensifying competition.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Phillies strung three consecutive hits off Blake Treinen, with Nick Castellanos lifting a soft double that cut the Dodgers’ lead to one and brought Vesia into the game.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The modernization plan also includes lifting the 1994 ban on closing rural post offices that covers nearly 4,000 locations.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sustained winds of around 75 mph (120 kph) were recorded with some additional strengthening expected.—
Barney Henderson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
It's forecast to experience steady to rapid strengthening and could become a major hurricane, with winds of 115 mph or more over the weekend.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While federal officials maintain that only criminals are being targeted, local advocates and community leaders say lawful residents and families with pending cases have also been detained, deepening fears that the crackdown is casting too wide a net and eroding public trust.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Qatar is deepening its presence in Egypt after more than a decade of strained ties.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The nonprofit will provide scholarships and supportive services for families raising children with autism.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Prague Reuters — Billionaire Andrej Babis’s ANO party cruised to victory in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election on Saturday, raising the prospect of a government that would boost Europe’s populist, anti-immigration camp and reduce support for Ukraine.—
Reuters 3 hr ago,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In 2011, the Wisconsin State Legislature altered the property tax levy formula limits, eliminating the 2% ceiling that local municipalities could draw from taxpayers in places where new construction couldn't justify a larger levy increase.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Numbers provided by Cincinnati Public Schools show that the school district had 4,326 homeless students last year, representing a 77% increase from a decade prior, despite total student enrollment increasing by only 538 students over the same period of time.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These appointments reflect WestEnd’s ambition for the future, the company said, with a specific focus on enhancing the company’s position in the international television market and expanding its presence in North America, with Braverman based in New York City.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
-
This style’s romantic sleeves create a balanced look by enhancing the shoulders.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, 91% of 18-34-year-olds said elevating women into government positions is important, while 81% or 80% of the other age cohorts said the same.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Goad joined The Tennessean in 2016 as the business and entertainment editor and has been critical to the company’s digital growth, leading a dramatic expansion of music and entertainment coverage while elevating its enterprise business reporting.—
Nashville Tennessean,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heightening. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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