1
as in strengthens
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
weight lifting will help toughen those flabby muscles of yours
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hardens
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 stiffens
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
attempts to toughen conditions under which waivers from military service would be permitted
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Recent Examples of toughens
Senegal’s president signed a law Monday that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the latest African country to impose harsh penalties against the LGBTQ+ community.
—
Aleksandar Furtula, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Senegal 's parliament has approved a new bill that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the largely Muslim West African nation, the latest African country to impose harsh penalties against the LGBTQ+ community.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Iran’s president toughens tone Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would only strengthen.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Iran’s president toughens tone In video comments Sunday, Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would only strengthen.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Consider that go-to little black dress; adding a sleek leather belt and some edgy silver jewelry toughens it up, and gives it a completely different vibe.
—Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Assembly Bill 1087 toughens penalties for drivers who cause a death while under the influence of intoxicants.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Curing toughens the skin and helps heal small cuts, extending the squash's shelf life.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
The new figures come as Berlin toughens its stance on China, while trying not to rankle its top trading partner.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Aleksandar Furtula, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Senegal 's parliament has approved a new bill that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the largely Muslim West African nation, the latest African country to impose harsh penalties against the LGBTQ+ community.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Iran’s president toughens tone Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would only strengthen.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Iran’s president toughens tone In video comments Sunday, Pezeshkian said Iran’s military response would only strengthen.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2026
Consider that go-to little black dress; adding a sleek leather belt and some edgy silver jewelry toughens it up, and gives it a completely different vibe.
—Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Assembly Bill 1087 toughens penalties for drivers who cause a death while under the influence of intoxicants.
—Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Curing toughens the skin and helps heal small cuts, extending the squash's shelf life.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
The new figures come as Berlin toughens its stance on China, while trying not to rankle its top trading partner.
—semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughens
Verb
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The latest, published in Nature today, strengthens the case that LAP1-B is an early cosmic puzzle piece packed with material freshly manufactured by dying Population III stars.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
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Pacific Ocean projections for 2026 An array of model images, including these from the North American multi-modal ensemble model, project water in the Pacific Ocean will be much warmer than normal by summer, as an El Niño strengthens.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Verb
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The process relies on urushi, a natural lacquer derived from tree sap that hardens over time into a durable, food-safe coating.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
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Tissue culture is a cloning process where, for orchids, shoot tips and axillary or side buds are sterilized and placed on agar — a jelly-like material that hardens into a firm gel — that contains plant nutrients and hormones.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Golden State’s schedule stiffens with an upcoming trip to New York and Indiana.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
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The rings arise because the metal softens as the can compresses, then stiffens, then compresses and stiffens again, repeating the pattern until the compression is complete—akin to something called homoclinic snaking.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toughens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughens. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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