as in armed
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1
as in inspired
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams
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2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman
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3
as in braced
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise
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Recent Examples of steeled
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
The Leopards steeled themselves, took a breath, went again, even as star man Noah Sadiki was forced off with an injury.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to face Muller in court.
—Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Some of it is gut feeling based the maniacal want Cristobal has steeled in his players.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Players typically don’t call their head coach in early summer with good news, so Journell steeled himself.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
The lawyer steeled himself for the next 90 minutes.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Few coaches know that better than Mike Vrabel, who steeled his team ahead of what many expected to be a toss-up game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
Instead, Altman appeared jittery at first but steeled his nerves rather quickly.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
The Leopards steeled themselves, took a breath, went again, even as star man Noah Sadiki was forced off with an injury.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to face Muller in court.
—Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Some of it is gut feeling based the maniacal want Cristobal has steeled in his players.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Players typically don’t call their head coach in early summer with good news, so Journell steeled himself.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
The lawyer steeled himself for the next 90 minutes.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Few coaches know that better than Mike Vrabel, who steeled his team ahead of what many expected to be a toss-up game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeled
Adjective
-
Jamahn Tatum, 20, is charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action, court records show.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2026
-
School attacks usually occur in the northern region where most armed groups operate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Riley’s movies are entwined with—and, often, inspired by—music.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
He was eventually acquitted on the grounds that the real-life incident that inspired the film, which a student in one of his film workshops turned into a documentary, was in the pubic domain.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
An historic meeting the president said strengthened ties between the two nations, but which did not produce a major agreement on trade or a commitment from China to help end the war with Iran.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
-
The country’s residency pathways and growing digital nomad infrastructure have further strengthened its popularity among remote workers and retirees alike.—
Meggen Harris,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
After a long day at the theme park with their brood, the two families braced themselves for the trek home.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
The weapon remains widely used among NATO members and allied militaries because of its flexibility against tanks, fortified positions, and moving targets.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
While sieges have commonly been employed to capture fortified cities, they have also been widely used to disrupt broader campaigns.—
Vikram Mittal,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Jimenez’s ‘Si Senor’ song was belted out at regular intervals and fans would have been encouraged to hear the Mexican, speaking after the game, open up the prospect of a return to Wolves when his Fulham contract expires this summer.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
Matching the anything-goes vibe that flows through the resort, the breezy restaurant pavilion is merely a suggestion—ordering lunch or dinner to your private terrace, a candlelit table on the beach, or one of the dozen-or-so secret seating nooks scattered around the property is actively encouraged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen has described it as a Bond who has experienced personal tragedy but hasn't yet been hardened by the darker side of spycraft.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Its purpose is to ensure that the questions before state legislators, members of Congress, and federal agencies are the right questions, asked in the right order, before another five hundred bills are introduced and a patchwork is hardened in place that no one designed and few defend.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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