1
as in encouraging
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthening
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 bracing
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeling
Verb
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There was a lot to like about Jovic’s performance on Saturday, with Heat veteran guard Norman Powell pushing and encouraging him along the way.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025 -
Salt-n-Pepa also joined in, and the group of artists concluded the set with a call-and-response moment alongside the crowd, encouraging everyone to scream along.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Corps proposed strengthening the bank by implementing riprap, or rocks.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
According to the National Weather Service, a strengthening cold front is making its way across the country toward Nashville.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Wisconsin is bracing for a weekend snow event that could make travel tricky across parts of the state.—
Brandi D. Addison,
jsonline.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Packing for winter trips used to mean bracing myself for clothes that simply didn’t fit right.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Moonshot Museum opened in 2022 and was Pennsylvania's first space museum as well as the first in the world to focus on inspiring young people to pursue a career in the modern space industry.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Professional sports are rapacious for-profit enterprises that produce wildly entertaining, sometimes violent, and sometimes inspiring athletic competition.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Propose a clear boundary with a sibling (or close friend) to stop resentment from hardening.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Jan. 2026
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Those upgrades involve hardening vulnerable infrastructure, improving outage detection and restoration, and preparing the grid for increasingly extreme weather.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The ensuing film combines soul with CGI, fortifying the lofty reputation Pixar had already built by 2001, just six years into its theatrical run.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
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Instead of fortifying their position, the Pats watched while a few competitors stocked up around them.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
20 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Steeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeling. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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