as in ruthless
having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings
an indurate heart that admits no love or mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
clay that had been indurated by long exposure to the summer sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strengthen
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
such a brutal upbringing could only callous his soul and indurate his heart to the suffering of others
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of indurate
Scott Bradfield, The New Republic, 24 Jan. 2023
Adjective
His characters strive to achieve things—such as love, self-command, or financial success—but those efforts are made ironic in the face of a world that, while sometimes beautiful to look at, remains indurate to human happiness.
—Scott Bradfield, The New Republic, 24 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indurate
Adjective
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But he's drawn into a deadly Colombian drama involving a new ruthless arms dealer posing as a humanitarian, Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva), and Roxana (Camila Morrone), an American businesswoman.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
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As Iranians know well from 1979, ruthless contests tend to define revolutions.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The tiny liquid droplets in the fog can freeze instantly to any surface, including vehicles and road surfaces.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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There’s roughly two and a half months left of the winter season, which means that there are plenty of chilly evenings, snow storms, and freeze warnings to look forward to.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Its formula of ceramides, astaxanthin, and arginine strengthen, provide elasticity, and heal weak or broken hair.—
Olivia Dubyak,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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The meeting comes as Tokyo seeks to rein in a deepening diplomatic and trade rift with China while strengthening ties with allies to counter Beijing’s attempts to isolate Japan.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Without prosecutors empowered to bring charges against wrongdoers, judges willing to strike down overreach, legislators daring enough to demand investigations and change laws, and citizens outraged enough to protest, any revelations by journalists will fall on stony ground.—
Susan Chira,
Foreign Affairs,
2 Dec. 2025
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After that historic journey, NASA charted a new course toward Apophis, a stony metal-rich NEA that offers a sharp scientific contrast to Bennu's carbon-rich composition (and was once thought to pose a serious impact risk to Earth).—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For dry or gel polish, use ice to harden it, then gently lift or chip it off.—
Emily Benda Gaylord,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
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Even Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had been trying to ease anger before the demonstrations exploded in recent days, offered a hardening tone in an interview aired Sunday.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With a merciless 56-22 thumping of Oregon in the Peach Bowl, the Hoosiers punched their ticket to their first national championship game appearance in program history.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
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All the while, the president, his top advisers, and his public-affairs offices have pumped out rhetoric and imagery that celebrates the merciless, military-style pursuit of deportations.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Salt dries into white rings, while melting snow can cause uneven water stains that stiffen leather, dull suede, and discolor fabric.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
6 Jan. 2026
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Cream of tartar or 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice can be used to help the meringue stiffen.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Shouldn’t even be that hard to sharpen the blasted thing, let alone twist it.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
13 Jan. 2026
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Jones raved about his consistency, intelligence, hard work and athleticism.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Indurate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indurate. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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