1
as in to harden
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
lifting weights every day will eventually strengthen your muscles the army makes new recruits run for miles in order to strengthen them
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to fortify
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
required weeks of physical therapy to strengthen his arm enough to pitch for the team again
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3
as in to enhance
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
encouraged the boarding school students to strengthen their ties with the community by doing public service
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4
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
strengthened herself for the moment she'd have to tell her friend that she had lost the borrowed necklace
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strengthen
Zelensky did not identify the countries involved but said Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations, helping strengthen their air defense systems.
—
Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite those concerns, Hass said the incident is unlikely to alter Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and China.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Closer to the coast, the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute released its three-millionth white seabass into Carlsbad’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon last week, part of an effort to strengthen the population of a species long depleted by recreational and commercial fishing.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
In a field that relies on regularly sharing threat intelligence, that kind of collaboration is likely to win Anthropic some favor and could strengthen the company’s standing with enterprise customers.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Despite those concerns, Hass said the incident is unlikely to alter Chinese President Xi Jinping’s efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and China.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
Closer to the coast, the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute released its three-millionth white seabass into Carlsbad’s Agua Hedionda Lagoon last week, part of an effort to strengthen the population of a species long depleted by recreational and commercial fishing.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026
In a field that relies on regularly sharing threat intelligence, that kind of collaboration is likely to win Anthropic some favor and could strengthen the company’s standing with enterprise customers.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthen
Verb
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The work only repaired and hardened about 10% of what was lost.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
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But Iran, which watched the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein next door, has been hardening its regime ever since.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Slivers of domestic Wagyu tenderloin sit in a deep salsa negra fortified with soy sauce.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Celebrity hairstylist Sami Knight recommends focusing on products that support scalp health and strengthen the hair fibers — like the Epres bond repair treatment, which can repair and fortify damaged strands.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Barco notes that Lightsteering redistributes existing light instead of demand- ing more, enhancing contrast and brightness without consuming more energy (and adding to energy bills).—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But he had been braced for the possibility and immediately set his mind on using that time to his advantage.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Maritime traffic to South Africa has jumped as shipping companies look for safer routes around the Cape of Good Hope — even if the journey is much longer and pricier — while Tanger Med, Africa’s largest container port, is bracing for a surge in demand.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officials this year have increased restrictions on flying drones and stiffened the penalties for their unauthorized use—including jail time.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
6 Apr. 2026
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The woman—Rose, apparently—stiffens slightly.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hutson was thrown off the first two games in Washington, but then adjusted and left a positive impact on the series for the Canadiens.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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In practice, that can mean swapping out legacy controllers, updating drive technology or adjusting heating systems depending on plant configuration.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Rumours of a temporary switch to Girona intensified in the Spanish media.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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Disagreements with the board are a routine part of C-suite life, but the transformative potential of AI—and the speed at which successful companies are moving from experimentation to application—has intensified the pressure significantly.—
Francesca Cassidy,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But the 2026 Faces of Death is actually really good, and having a better understanding of the original — including the controversy that has hovered around it for decades — will only bolster your appreciation of the delicate balancing act that Goldhaber and co-writer Isa Mazzei have pulled off.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Gray is a 14-year big league veteran who was brought to Boston to bolster the starting rotation and provide an additional playoff-caliber starter behind ace Garrett Crochet.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthen. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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