as in sturdy
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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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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
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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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Recent Examples of strengthened
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 7 June 2026
The network has been expanded, strengthened, and stress-tested so police, fire, EMS, and federal agencies can communicate if an emergency occurs.
—Edward F. Davis, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
It is disciplined by accountability and strengthened by competition.
—Keith Krach, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Italy’s triumph over Czechoslovakia in the 1934 final which strengthened the regime of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, for example.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Voting rights must be continuously defended, modernized, and strengthened as new challenges emerge.
—Louie Sawi, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
Further, when algorithms are periodically strengthened to account for advances in cracking abilities, the process occurs automatically, with no interaction required.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Iran is now strategically strengthened, even though its military assets have been degraded.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
This would, among other things, give a new direction to the relationship with the United States, creating new opportunities that benefit Colombia…Under our administration, the relationship with the United States would be strengthened and revitalized.
—Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Adjective
The foundations were welded and bolted to the strengthened deck, and the rotors themselves, fabricated with inner steel cores and composite shells, were then lifted by crane.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
The ruling strengthened the regional government’s position in a dispute that has fueled weeks of protests ahead of next month’s assembly elections.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
The network has been expanded, strengthened, and stress-tested so police, fire, EMS, and federal agencies can communicate if an emergency occurs.
—Edward F. Davis, Boston Herald, 7 June 2026
It is disciplined by accountability and strengthened by competition.
—Keith Krach, Fortune, 7 June 2026
Italy’s triumph over Czechoslovakia in the 1934 final which strengthened the regime of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, for example.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Voting rights must be continuously defended, modernized, and strengthened as new challenges emerge.
—Louie Sawi, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026
Further, when algorithms are periodically strengthened to account for advances in cracking abilities, the process occurs automatically, with no interaction required.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026
Iran is now strategically strengthened, even though its military assets have been degraded.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
This would, among other things, give a new direction to the relationship with the United States, creating new opportunities that benefit Colombia…Under our administration, the relationship with the United States would be strengthened and revitalized.
—Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Tutt and his teams have worked on engineering designs to safely drop anything needing a sturdy parachute — including the Orion capsule that splashed down last month off the coast of San Diego after its 477,710-mile journey to the moon and back.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Vegas has had a more challenging path to the final and might be more playoff-hardened at the moment.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Once the seedlings have been hardened off, dig holes deep enough to plant the seedlings up to the first set of true leaves.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In his lethal line of work, Lobo comes fortified with an arsenal of guns, blades, grenades, and a wicked titanium chain equipped with a sharp hook.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
Roboto is a Heroic Warrior whose great strength and defense capabilities are fortified by her metal body.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
But inconsistencies between location data and statements Brian Hooker made to investigators have intensified scrutiny on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, a US official familiar with the criminal investigation told CNN.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
The United States has also intensified pressure on Iran by enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports, citing Tehran’s threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil and natural gas exports.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
In the stands, Toomey braced himself.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Russia has been using long-range ballistic missiles and drones to damage Ukraine’s power grid and hammer cities, and Ukraine has braced for further heavy bombardments.—
Stephen McGrath,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
His eyes locked to the right, his tiny body stiffened and his face turned red.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
There was a sudden spring shower, which stiffened into rain.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
But her thickened skin, along with her toughened reputation, felt supple now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
The Sparks adjusted to open the third quarter with six consecutive points.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Firefighters then switched into attacking the blaze and adjusted their on-scene resources to work on containment, Clay said.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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