FORTIFYING Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

fortifying

verb

present participle of fortify

as in bracing

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises

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as in strengthening

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force he downed another granola bar to fortify himself for the rest of the bike ride

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hardening

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold

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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 fortifying Residents were busy fortifying their properties ahead of the peak of the weather event, as city officials positioned crews early to begin working on lining the shore with berms. — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 30 July 2026 Paramount now must strengthen its case for a high-stakes trial while fortifying Paramount’s existing businesses and managing uncertainty among the employee base. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 In response, Anthropic took the model off the market on June 12, and then re-released it on June 30 after fortifying its security. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 24 July 2026 New Orleans residents prepared for Bertha's arrival by fortifying their properties with sandbags, and many boat owners in the region moved their vessels out of docks located along the coast to safer locations. — Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 22 July 2026 Iran began fortifying the entrances and building a secure perimeter surrounding the entire mountain and Natanz in 2025, according to the Institute for Science and International Security. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 Moscow has spent years fortifying Crimea, tripling its troop presence, deploying advanced air defenses and coastal batteries, and studding the land with missile launch systems. — Marc Santora, New York Times, 4 July 2026 The five-day trade fair drew Black businesspersons from dozens of states, fortifying Jackson’s assertion that economic development is the way to Black power. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026 More picks offer more chances at fortifying their roster, or more trade ammunition to move up for a quarterback in a strong draft class next spring. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifying

Verb

Others have been bracing for years about growing scrutiny over inclusion initiatives.

— Scott M. Curran, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
The backdrop has options traders bracing for sizeable moves after the Nvidia and Jackson Hole catalysts.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of bracing

Verb

There is a possibility that the strengthening El Niño weather event creates a mild early winter in northeast Asia which reduces demand, Drinkwater said.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
On stage, Semafor will convene leaders from across these sectors to explore practical strategies for strengthening resilience, supporting families and educators, improving digital literacy, and expanding access to mental health resources.

— Semafor Events, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of strengthening

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fortify

fortifying

fortitude

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“Fortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifying. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fortifying

verb

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