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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The analyst also expects three new drugs to strengthen Eli Lilly’s leadership position and act as growth drivers ahead — orforglipron, retatrutide and eloralintide.
—
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
That video not only helped sell Mamdani's focus on affordability but also introduced him to the young voting bloc that helped strengthen his campaign.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Niacinamide helps soothe redness and strengthen the skin barrier, green microalgae brings antioxidant support, vegan peptides help improve firmness and texture over time, and aloe adds lightweight, calming hydration.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 9 Nov. 2025
Since 2022, numerous campuses have added new safety features – such as installing more cameras on campus and hiring additional police officers – while also working to strengthen their relationships with federal and local law enforcement, according to Inside Higher Ed.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2025
That video not only helped sell Mamdani's focus on affordability but also introduced him to the young voting bloc that helped strengthen his campaign.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
Niacinamide helps soothe redness and strengthen the skin barrier, green microalgae brings antioxidant support, vegan peptides help improve firmness and texture over time, and aloe adds lightweight, calming hydration.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 9 Nov. 2025
Since 2022, numerous campuses have added new safety features – such as installing more cameras on campus and hiring additional police officers – while also working to strengthen their relationships with federal and local law enforcement, according to Inside Higher Ed.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthen
Verb
-
In the wake of those bills, the far-right Tea Party movement helped harden Republican opposition to Obama and Democrats more broadly, and Democrats saw major losses in the 2010 midterm elections that relegated Democrats to the minority and ended Pelosi's first run as speaker.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Soft power that hardens into partnerships, pipelines, and actual policy shifts.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Both washed the food down with drinks fortified by electrolytes.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Many commercial brands are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which protect the bones.—
Lauren O'Connor,
Health,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Since 2019, California has partnered with jurisdictions in 28 countries—touching more than a quarter of the world’s population, with a combined GDP in the tens of trillions of dollars—to cut greenhouse gases, enhance climate resilience and develop clean energy.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The stretchy cuffs help lock in heat, while the palm side has grip-enhancing rubber details.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Arctic air mass is pushing east, with New York City and Boston bracing for lows in the 30s.—
Sirena Bergman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Advertisement Many in the party are bracing for support for Schumer to become an issue in Senate races around the country.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The light stiffens and grabs hold of us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In real materials, large angles that could create bigger matrix weights also stiffen the input path, reducing motion at the output.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The buttons control the cooking modes, temperature setting (up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit), and cook time, which can also be conveniently adjusted using the dial.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Since the advent of the transfer portal and the rise of name, image and likeness (NIL), there have been countless debates about how to create and adjust a system to establish guardrails when necessary.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Violence has intensified, humanitarian aid remains blocked, and political prisoners, including my mother, remain behind bars.—
Kim Aris,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Yet even among a number of Christians seeking to raise awareness and intensify efforts to put an end to systematic abuses committed by Boko Haram and other jihadi movements, the prospect of foreign intervention raises serious concerns.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The program aims to bolster student nutrition in a year when federal nutrition programs were transitioned to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, the governor's office said.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
7 Nov. 2025
-
China has undertaken a massive expansion of sites linked to missile production since 2020, bolstering its ability to potentially deter the US military and assert its dominance in the region, a new CNN analysis of satellite images, maps and government notices reveals.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strengthen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthen. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share