Synonyms of strengthening

strengthening 1 of 3

adjective

as in reviving

Related Words

• reviving
• conditioning
• stimulating
• rejuvenating
• bracing
• vitalizing
• vital
• refreshing
• restorative
• tonic
• life-giving
• stimulative
• cordial
• invigorating
• therapeutic
• quickening
• beneficial
• animating
• exhilarating
• corrective
• curative
• remedial
• rectifying
• rehabilitative
• curing
• medicinal
• reformative
• reparative
• recuperative
• healthful
• reformatory
• healthy
• helpful
• salutary
• remedying
• exhilarative
• wholesome
• sharp
• salubrious

Dissimilar Words

• weakening
• draining
• debilitating
• deadening
• exhausting
• injurious
• numbing
• pernicious
• deleterious
• sapping
• enfeebling
• enervating
• wearying
• unhealthy
• noxious
• unhealthful
• unwholesome
• insalubrious

strengthening

2 of 3

noun

as in increase

Related Words

• increase
• enhancement
• amelioration
• upswing
• upturn
• heightening
• uplift
• boost
• breakthrough
• advance
• evolution
• betterment
• development
• maturation
• quantum leap
• growth
• melioration
• advancement
• expansion
• uptrend
• upgrade
• education
• refinement
• ripening
• elaboration
• revival
• enlightenment
• edification
• civilization
• renaissance
• perfection
• gestation
• innovation
• find
• discovery
• windfall
• renascence
• invention

Dissimilar Words

• collapse
• breakdown
• crash
• reduction
• decrease
• weakening
• impediment
• hindrance
• failing
• deterioration
• decline
• worsening
• stumbling block
• sinking
• decay
• lessening
• degeneration
• slowing
• lapse
• impairment
• detriment
• descent
• downgrade
• decadence
• declension
• drawback
• shortcoming
• flagging
• diminishment
• disablement
• glitch
• setback
• ebbing
• languishment

strengthening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of strengthen

1

as in hardening

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

• hardening
• fortifying
• tempering
• toughening
• energizing
• beefing (up)
• annealing
• invigorating
• vitalizing
• firming (up)
• toning (up)
• restrengthening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weakening
• crippling
• hurting
• debilitating
• damaging
• impairing
• injuring
• harming
• paralyzing
• undermining
• incapacitating
• enfeebling
• enervating
• breaking down
• undercutting
• wearing out
• sapping

2

as in fortifying

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

• hardening
• fortifying
• adjusting
• reinforcing
• bolstering
• toughening
• bracing
• inuring
• adapting
• boosting
• steeling
• supporting
• seasoning
• indurating
• enforcing
• tempering
• vitalizing
• acclimating
• invigorating
• immunizing
• buttressing
• conditioning
• annealing
• acclimatizing
• training
• accustoming
• habituating
• propping (up)
• breaking in
• naturalizing
• limbering (up)
• forearming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• softening
• weakening
• exhausting
• sapping
• crippling
• enervating
• debilitating
• incapacitating
• sensitizing
• enfeebling
• emasculating
• hamstringing

3

as in deepening

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

• deepening
• enhancing
• intensifying
• heightening
• consolidating
• reinforcing
• boosting
• broadening
• expanding
• amplifying
• sharpening
• accentuating
• stepping up
• augmenting
• emphasizing
• redoubling
• magnifying
• lengthening
• extending
• enforcing
• accelerating
• beefing (up)
• maximizing
• enlarging
• supplementing
• amping (up)
• hastening
• stressing
• quickening
• pointing (up)
• restrengthening
• enlivening
• exacerbating
• aggravating
• jazzing (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reducing
• decreasing
• moderating
• weakening
• diminishing
• lessening
• abating
• subduing
• waning
• dwindling
• receding
• tapering (off)
• subsiding
• alleviating
• toning (down)
• easing
• lightening
• letting up (on)

4

as in bracing

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

• fortifying
• bracing
• readying
• poising
• reinforcing
• steeling
• bolstering
• forearming
• nerving
• enforcing
• psyching (up)
• arming
• sustaining
• toughening
• buttressing
• hardening
• comforting
• inuring
• boosting
• encouraging
• supporting
• stirring
• inspiring
• rallying
• propping (up)
• seasoning
• rousing
• cheering (up)
• emboldening
• buoying (up)
• heartening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shaking
• discouraging
• daunting
• undermining
• demoralizing
• disheartening
• weakening
• softening
• unnerving
• undercutting
• sapping
• debilitating
• tiring
• dispiriting
• psyching (out)
• enervating
• prostrating
• enfeebling

5

as in stiffening

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe

a bill was introduced to strengthen punishments for hate crimes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stiffening
• toughening
• hardening
• harshening

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easing
• softening
• lessening
• ameliorating
• moderating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of strengthening

Noun

During the call, the two presidents also emphasized the continuation and strengthening of bilateral and strategic cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, according to the Iranian state news agency's readout. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

In one of the most dramatic bouts of rapid intensification of a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean on record, Hurricane Polo has exploded into a major Category 5 storm, with more strengthening expected through the day. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026

The return and strengthening of those westerly winds are part of the normal seasonal development of the vortex. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Regular exercise and strengthening can help reduce knee cracking caused by conditions like osteoarthritis or patellofemoral pain syndrome. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

However, Anheuser-Busch Inbev's strengthening foothold in non-beer beverage categories could drive shares higher, according to Deutsche Bank. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

Some gradual strengthening was forecast over the coming days. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026

Not all models anticipate El Niños strengthening as the climate warms, but our data shows that unusual strengthening has accompanied recent warming – an association that may allow scientists to identify models that most closely track observations. — Julia Cole, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

That’s in addition to the earlier dismantling of USAID (which trained social mobilizers for surveillance and active case finding) and the withdrawal from the WHO (whose technical expertise informed laboratory strengthening and data systems). — Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

In his candidacy announcement, Jackson said his priorities include strengthening public safety and the city’s economy. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026

This was on top of cutting the cost of doing business, and strengthening supply chains. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 12 Oct. 2026

The networks learn to recognize patterns by strengthening and weakening connections between nodes in response to training data. — Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026

But in recent years, leaders have begun to embrace the idea that presenting an authentic version of themselves to their employees can have a host of benefits including strengthening employee performance and creativity. — Krishna Savani, Harvard Business Review, 12 Oct. 2026

Atresmedia is strengthening its longstanding relationship with Netflix, while Mediterráneo Mediaset is placing a large emphasis on international sales. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026

The port is also undergoing an expansion program valued at around $150 million, strengthening the infrastructure needed to support greater regional trade. — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Its wind patterns smothered almost any wisp of a storm from strengthening in the Atlantic, while boosting what will soon be record high levels in the Pacific, Klotzbach said. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026

Nathan created an atmosphere of tension that backfired spectacularly by wedging a distance between himself and his deckhands and strengthening the bond between Joe and Cooper. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026