1
as in strengthening
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
2
as in hardening
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
hiking every morning through snow and ice toughened him considerably
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stiffening
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
attempts to toughen conditions under which waivers from military service would be permitted
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughening
Verb
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Building and strengthening one-on-one relationships is the way to grow and defend yourself.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025 -
Merrill even walked with two outs to bring the go-ahead run to the plate but Ryan O’Hearn struck out to end a loss that prevented the Padres from truly strengthening their postseason position.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Three key lessons for protecting homes from wildfire emerged, two of them applying to individual homeowners hardening houses against fire, and clearing nearby flammable materials like plants and fences and one requiring communitywide action.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
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Traditional security hardening is no longer enough to combat this threat.—
David Bennett,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But most recently it has been hit from several sides, most notably stiffening competition primarily from Amazon, off-pricers and membership clubs as well as Walmart and Target.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
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Competition has also been stiffening, the analyst added, which could be an additional tailwind for growth.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
29 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Toughening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughening. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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