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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2
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5
as in to stiffen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe a bill was introduced to strengthen punishments for hate crimes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strengthen As was reaffirmed in court this morning, birthright citizenship is a foundational American principle that has strengthened our communities, our families, and our whole country for generations. Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 These programs include efforts to improve parenting skills, expand access to high-quality child care and early education, and strengthen the financial resilience of families. Kathryn Maguire-Jack, The Conversation, 15 May 2025 The formula works on two fronts to create an optimal environment for hair growth while actively strengthening existing hair to decrease hair loss. Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 2 May 2025 Cress sprout extract filters pollution and strengthens your barrier, while wild butter ginger root extract helps block damaging, dark-spot-inducing free radicals. Sarah Han, Allure, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthen
Verb
  • Related article Ships, sea drones and AI: How NATO is hardening its defense of critical Baltic undersea cables CNN was not able to locate the registered owner of the Jaguar for comment.
    Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
  • These devices must be hardened against attackers seeking stealthy persistence.
    Yuriy Bulygin, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • It is then fermented into a sweet wine, usually fortified.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
  • Its front office excels at fortifying the roster through the draft.
    Dan Pompei, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • The league is focused on four key areas: enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online; increased emphasis on team, arena and league security measures; reinforcing mental health resources; and alignment of core against hate.
    Doug Feinberg, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
  • Switch on headlights - Even during daylight hours, using headlights can enhance visibility and signal your presence to other drivers.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The National Weather Service said residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois and parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio should brace for intense storms that could include baseball-sized hail.
    Michael Phillis, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2025
  • Other venues, most notably the 90,000-capacity Rose Bowl, are braced for lots of empty seats.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • Lucy’s Law, among other things, stiffens the penalties for seriously injuring someone in a boat crash.
    David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
  • Posture And Mobility: Undoing The Sedentary Spiral Extended sitting does more than stiffen your spine.
    Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The focus is on teaching and learning with a new playbook and minute but important details such as adjusting his footwork when receiving the snap.
    Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
  • That's starting with support for Gmail, which allows AI Mode to adjust based on things like booking emails and online purchase receipts.
    Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The September departure of OpenAI’s chief technology officer, Mira Murati, who then founded a rival AI startup, has intensified the AI talent war.
    Anna Tong, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • And political repression has intensified since Maduro’s fraudulent July 2024 re-election, says a new report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) advocacy group.
    Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Sentiment was bolstered Tuesday by the latest reading on consumer inflation showing prices rising at a slower pace than Wall Street economists had expected.
    Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 14 May 2025
  • Several of the prosecution's key witnesses will also be testifying under pseudonyms, in an aim to protect their identities, further bolstering the air of privacy that is meant to surround such a sensitive case.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Strengthen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthen. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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