TOUGHEN Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

toughen

verb

ˈtə-fən

Definition of toughen

as in to strengthen

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force weight lifting will help toughen those flabby muscles of yours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to harden

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure hiking every morning through snow and ice toughened him considerably

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stiffen

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe attempts to toughen conditions under which waivers from military service would be permitted

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 toughen Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech firms, urging or forcing them to adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones. — Paul Sandle, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Britain has increasingly toughened its approach to tech companies in recent years, urging or forcing them to impose age verification, adapt their algorithms and, most recently, prevent children from circulating nude images taken on mobile phones. — Reuters, CNN Money, 15 June 2026 Many of them urged the shah to toughen up and crack down harder on protesters. — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026 Subaru sharpened it, toughened it and elevated it. — Tim Jackson, Denver Post, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for toughen

Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughen

Verb

The optimistic interpretation is that Nolan’s visibility among directors has never been higher, and that his leadership role only strengthens his relationship with the very voters who determine the DGA winner.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 July 2026
Los Alamos architect Galen Shipman said engineers concentrated on improving memory bandwidth for each CPU core while strengthening support for irregular computing workloads.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 July 2026

Definition of strengthen

Verb

If frozen for longer than 10 minutes, the roll-up will lose its crunchy texture and will harden.

— Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
If cold from the fridge, your butter will seize and harden, shellacking the slices in a thick coating instead of a light sheen.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 July 2026

Definition of harden

Verb

Graham's aorta, at 71, tore, a dissection along a wall stiffened by decades of what the medical examiner called arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

— Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Group 1 is pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and severe version that occurs when blood vessels in the lungs narrow and stiffen.

— Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 26 June 2026