1
as in hardened
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 fortified
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in intensified
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
encouraged the boarding school students to strengthen their ties with the community by doing public service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in braced
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sturdy
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Recent Examples of strengthened
Yossi Shelley, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Like Cook, Andrews did not receive a waiver to ethics rules that Hogsett strengthened in his first term.
—IndyStar, 13 Oct. 2025
Another key takeaway was that Snowflake’s unstructured data capabilities have strengthened, but there are still some gaps to address.
—Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
The two college students (and daughters of Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan) live on opposite coasts, but say the health scare strengthened their already-tight connection.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Stair-climbing was most common in adults younger than 65, while exercise, including tai chi, that strengthened lower body muscles was more common in older adults.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2025
Nevertheless, the stadium had by then become synonymous with big football occasions — a status that was only strengthened by three European Cup finals being staged between 1963 and 1971.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Priscilla has strengthened in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to continue growing this week, potentially reaching major hurricane status within the next couple of days.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Cooperation frameworks such as the Negev Forum, I2U2, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) have strengthened dialogue and trust.
—Yossi Shelley, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Like Cook, Andrews did not receive a waiver to ethics rules that Hogsett strengthened in his first term.
—IndyStar, 13 Oct. 2025
Another key takeaway was that Snowflake’s unstructured data capabilities have strengthened, but there are still some gaps to address.
—Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
The two college students (and daughters of Good Morning America co-anchor Michael Strahan) live on opposite coasts, but say the health scare strengthened their already-tight connection.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Stair-climbing was most common in adults younger than 65, while exercise, including tai chi, that strengthened lower body muscles was more common in older adults.
—Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2025
Nevertheless, the stadium had by then become synonymous with big football occasions — a status that was only strengthened by three European Cup finals being staged between 1963 and 1971.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Hurricane Priscilla has strengthened in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to continue growing this week, potentially reaching major hurricane status within the next couple of days.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Verb
-
If picked too early, before the skin has fully hardened, the squash may not be sweet and could be underdeveloped.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Around the same time, Israeli strikes on Damascus and continued clashes in Sweida hardened the idea, inside parts of the Kurdish movement, that the center could break.—
Hassan Hassan,
Time,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The wide receiver spot has been fortified more with four-stars and transfers, the result being depth.—
Seth Emerson,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Fortified Almond Milk Like soy milk, almond milk is commonly fortified with minerals like calcium.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Three hurricanes—Erin, Gabrielle, and Humberto—intensified to at least Category 4 at their peak, with both Erin and Humberto reaching Category 5 intensity, though all of them did so over the Atlantic rather than on land.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
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The very strongest moments of DMV, CBS’ brand-new single-cam, tap into that sense of stuck-ness, intensified by clocking in each day to that most purgatorial of government institutions.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Flight delays were reported across the country for a second straight day Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration braced for more airport staffing shortages as the government shutdown continues.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Wooden vessels for polar exploration typically reinforced the hulls internally with diagonal support beams, which braced the sides of the ship against lateral compression from powerful sea ice, said Tuhkuri, who researches the mechanics of ice.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McDaniel made the point that the Dolphins’ defensive line and run defense stiffened somewhat after struggling badly on the first drive.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Only on particularly bumpy tarmac did the GTS-spec suspension become too jarring with the adaptive dampers stiffened up in sport mode, but switching them to normal offered the best of both worlds—excellent, composed body control and tuning that ironed out imperfections remarkably well.—
Peter Nelson,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
If possible, drive to a nearby sturdy building.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With those price hikes in mind, those who rely on Medicare are taking a closer look at the current plan set-up and how it can be adjusted.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
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As always, be sure to wrap up warm, head away from city lights and allow 20-30 minutes for your eyes to become adjusted to the dark.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Over the past few years, Lego has worked on expanding its customer base and deepened its strategy to achieve a streak of positive annual growth.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
-
As the spring went on, the confusion deepened.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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