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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steeling
And this game plan demands his best work, steeling Jarrett Stidham for the biggest challenge of his career, or any career for that matter.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Shoulders sagging, Charleigh set the wooden spoon down, steeling herself.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
The Pats are back because of who their quarterback has become, and who Mike Vrabel is as a head coach; a man capable of steeling a brittle roster into a dogged competitor.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
As the end of the year approaches, many workers are steeling themselves for their annual performance review.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
On the environment beat, look for further reporting on Kentucky's resilience in the face of flooding and other disasters, following a legislative task force report outlining recommendations for steeling the state against strengthening storms.
—Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
Shoulders sagging, Charleigh set the wooden spoon down, steeling herself.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
This New Moon is perfect for mending such inner tears, with its Capricorn durability steeling your 12th House of Finishes.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 18 Jan. 2026
The Pats are back because of who their quarterback has become, and who Mike Vrabel is as a head coach; a man capable of steeling a brittle roster into a dogged competitor.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 22 Dec. 2025
As the end of the year approaches, many workers are steeling themselves for their annual performance review.
—Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025
On the environment beat, look for further reporting on Kentucky's resilience in the face of flooding and other disasters, following a legislative task force report outlining recommendations for steeling the state against strengthening storms.
—Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeling
Verb
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Between parking restrictions and road closures, Boston is encouraging Marathon Monday visitors to walk, bike, take the T — anything but drive — to watch the runners or attend the day’s festivities.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
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The five-star analyst added that growing demand in scale-up networking is giving confidence in continued strength in future earnings, encouraging investors to look beyond 2027 and factor in these opportunities.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ahead of this system on Thursday, southwest winds will be strengthening across the region.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The state has been strengthening fire safety standards, specifically with the passage of Assembly Bill 3074 in 2020 and Senate Bill 504 in 2024, which direct residents to create an ember-resistant defensible space zone within the first 5 feet surrounding a structure, also known as Zone 0.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So House Republicans are bracing for a flurry of attempts to tack on more, including the voter ID and citizenship verification bill.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
In the Bay Area, counties are bracing for catastrophic losses; Santa Clara County alone projects a shortfall of up to $1 billion over the next few years, forcing local governments to scramble for regressive sales taxes to fund what progressive federal taxes once covered.—
Markos Kounalakis,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Aries, this visceral energy takes on a more impulsive, reactive vibe, inspiring the urge to act on a vision without fully seeing it through.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
From the wings came De Niro, inspiring cheers from the exhibitors.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Having won best in show at TinyFest over the past two years keeps Wilson coming back to the expo with new home designs, which are stick built and feature fire hardening.—
Amancai Biraben,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
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The sky was the color of cotton candy, but the stale kind that’s been hardening in a plastic bag for days after the fair.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The serum is formulated with a holy grail powerhouse that consists of a fortifying complex, firming complex, and Matrixyl 3000—all pivotal for minimizing signs of aging.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
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Analysts noted similar activity occurred before last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer strikes, suggesting a pattern of fortifying critical facilities in anticipation of attacks.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeling. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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