as in sword
a hand weapon with a length of metal sharpened on one or both sides and usually tapered to a sharp point
drew steel on the bandits, who immediately fled for their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strengthen
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of steel
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The durable steel frame is insulated and sealed to ensure both energy efficiency and safety in extreme weather.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In the final clip, Chani steels herself and runs toward an invisible adversary.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Noun
Or perhaps an alien predator with a maw of steel has descended on the center of Washington to beam up the executive branch.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
The durable steel frame is insulated and sealed to ensure both energy efficiency and safety in extreme weather.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
Verb
Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to face Muller in court.
—Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
In the final clip, Chani steels herself and runs toward an invisible adversary.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steel
Noun
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Moseley added his own costar memories, telling Metro that Tilda Swinton (who starred as the White Witch) loved participating in stunt sequences — including a sword fight scene.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
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Seeking revenge, Onimaru impulsively picks up a demonic sword in a shortcut to power, setting off a grand adventure.—
Kambole Campbell,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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When reconstructing the Inquisition trial of a sixteenth-century northern Italian miller, historian Carlo Ginzburg encountered a line that would eventually inspire the title of his paradigm-shifting study The Cheese and the Worms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Though all eyes will be on North America, the national pride this event inspires – and the staggered start times that will allow fans watching back in their home countries to take in their teams during sort-of-normal hours – will stir incredible excitement and patriotism all around the world.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Ross Wilson, the sporting director who arrived in October, is keen to further strengthen the youth sides by complementing local talent with signings from the UK and across the world.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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World’s first 16-ton drone mothership People’s Daily reported that the Jetank platform is designed to strengthen China’s low-altitude economy, a government initiative aimed at expanding civilian air services and accelerating innovation along the aviation industrial chain.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Women are bracing for hot flashes while the real experience is dominated by exhaustion, mood changes and cognitive symptoms, the kinds of complaints that get attributed to stress, parenting, work or aging in general.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
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Kochen’s chain of about 30 companies — which operated under the CLADD Group LLC in North Miami — sold durable medical equipment such as knee, shoulder and wrist braces to patients who were referred by doctors affiliated with Herek’s telemedicine business, VirtualNet.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Mbappe also told the New York Times he’d been encouraged to stay in Paris by Emmanuel Macron, the French president.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
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Parents of at least two teenage boys who died by suicide have sued AI developers in ongoing legal disputes, saying their chatbots encouraged their sons to die.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The build then hardened into application maintenance, where one-time projects became long-running support contracts that billed year after year.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Beyond hardening technical defenses, companies operating in the AI age need to examine a wide range of practices, say industry experts, updating the way software patches are deployed and rebuilding the human layer of security.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Supportive leadership includes recognizing the power of place and fortifying it with the tools, trust, and care needed for excellence to grow and thrive.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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For months, Mexican authorities have fortified security in an effort to offset concerns, following several days of violence that paralyzed World Cup host city Guadalajara in February.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.—
Caitlyn Martyn
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steel. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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