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
NBC news, 17 May 2026
The country’s residency pathways and growing digital nomad infrastructure have further strengthened its popularity among remote workers and retirees alike.
—Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
However, the bias strengthened in species such as Homo erectus and Neanderthals before reaching its modern extreme in Homo sapiens.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Alumni became engaged and community partnerships were strengthened.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The 2022 amendment strengthened this system through an online portal run by CPCB, which tracks the registration, waste targets, and compliance for these entities.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Its presence has strengthened the country’s military capacity and helped stabilize the regime, at least temporarily, according to Nsaibia.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
The Pavilion has also strengthened ties with leading nternational genre organizations and markets, including Fantasia Frontières, Fantastic 7 Sitges and the Méliès International Festivals Federation, while adding new strategic allies including Pressman Film, The Horror Collective and BloodStream.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 8 May 2026
After Hurricane Katrina, Congress strengthened FEMA's federal coordination role.
—CBS News, 7 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
An historic meeting the president said strengthened ties between the two nations, but which did not produce a major agreement on trade or a commitment from China to help end the war with Iran.
—NBC news, 17 May 2026
The country’s residency pathways and growing digital nomad infrastructure have further strengthened its popularity among remote workers and retirees alike.
—Meggen Harris, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
However, the bias strengthened in species such as Homo erectus and Neanderthals before reaching its modern extreme in Homo sapiens.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 16 May 2026
Alumni became engaged and community partnerships were strengthened.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The 2022 amendment strengthened this system through an online portal run by CPCB, which tracks the registration, waste targets, and compliance for these entities.
—Aman Kumar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 May 2026
Its presence has strengthened the country’s military capacity and helped stabilize the regime, at least temporarily, according to Nsaibia.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
The Pavilion has also strengthened ties with leading nternational genre organizations and markets, including Fantasia Frontières, Fantastic 7 Sitges and the Méliès International Festivals Federation, while adding new strategic allies including Pressman Film, The Horror Collective and BloodStream.
—Ed Meza, Variety, 8 May 2026
After Hurricane Katrina, Congress strengthened FEMA's federal coordination role.
—CBS News, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Adjective
-
Reintroduced as Aqua Lares in late 2025, the 254-footer is comfortable in the harshest of environments, with a sturdy ice-class hull that can power through practically anything.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
15 May 2026
-
Optimize the wall space by placing belts and bags on sturdy hooks.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen has described it as a Bond who has experienced personal tragedy but hasn't yet been hardened by the darker side of spycraft.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Its purpose is to ensure that the questions before state legislators, members of Congress, and federal agencies are the right questions, asked in the right order, before another five hundred bills are introduced and a patchwork is hardened in place that no one designed and few defend.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Infusing this with her music has fortified her place in pop.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
-
Formula is fortified with vitamin K, but even with that, experts agree, babies should still get the shot.—
Duaa Eldeib,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
With Boston ruled out just before tip-off due to a lower leg injury, the spotlight on Caitlin Clark intensified.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Moreno, a health director for a labor union, said he was consumed at the time with his job, which suddenly intensified as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
After a long day at the theme park with their brood, the two families braced themselves for the trek home.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
Overcast skies hovered over Atlanta during the midafternoon as the metro area braced for severe weather.—
Vanessa McCray,
AJC.com,
6 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
-
April’s numbers – bosses added 115,000 workers, adjusted for seasonal swings – were seen by many economic gurus as a surprising increase amid a war with Iran and its resulting ballooning energy costs.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
-
And by then, the list HR is working from has been quietly adjusted and your name is no longer on it.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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