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
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
His sacrifice has steeled our resolve, redoubled our commitment and only increased our determination to save America at this critical turning point.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
His sacrifice has steeled our resolve, redoubled our commitment and only increased our determination to save America at this critical turning point.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeled
Adjective
-
The hijacking of humanitarian aid convoys by Hamas and armed gangs prevented the civilian population from receiving food and medicines.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Originally designed as a response to the Black Lives Matter protests and a call to keep armed police officers out of the Metro system, the agency deployed roughly three hundred ambassadors to stations and transit vehicles in the city’s core.—
Oren Peleg,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
If Jennifer Lawrence inspired you to get your own Mary Jane sneakers, head to Salomon to score her exact pair.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
-
Omaha's dad, David Lamm, says he was inspired by a documentary to rescue a Golden Retriever mix.—
Rina Nakano,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Like Armenia, Kazakhstan has also strengthened its relationship with Western countries and organizations while slowly distancing itself from the Russian Federation.—
Mark Temnycky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
Its presence has strengthened the country’s military capacity and helped stabilize the regime, at least temporarily, according to Nsaibia.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 May 2026
-
On April 14th, as Kyiv braced for a round of Russian strikes, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was seven hundred and fifty miles away, in Berlin, forging a defense agreement with Germany, part of a tour of European allies to raise support for military aid.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And Ukraine’s ability to strike fortified locations inside Russia is well-known.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those who noticed the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
-
Residents were encouraged to do a walk-through of their property, looking for potential damage from water or gas leaks.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The presidential planes are fitted with special communications equipment, hardened against nuclear blasts, and contain classified defensive measures.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
One that shows the intense rightward swing that has only hardened as the lines between hip-hop and the streaming universe have blurred.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeled. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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