HARDENING Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

hardening

verb

Definition of hardening

present participle of harden

as in freezing

to become physically firm or solid the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air

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as in strengthening

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains

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as in toughening

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets

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as in stiffening

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation

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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 hardening Hope for finding survivors is fading as rescuers race against time and quickly hardening mud. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026 OpenAI halted some of its AI model training and is hardening its testing, monitoring and training protocols following the incident. — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Mohsen Rezaei was named this month as part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Mohsen Rezaei was named this month as part of senior appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran's political and military stance. — Arkansas Online, 23 Aug. 2026 Polls show most Canadians oppose concessions, hardening Carney’s stance. — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Use a damp, soapy cloth to wipe any oil off the cabinets right away to keep it from hardening and prevent sticky surfaces. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026 The state also requires home hardening measures for the structure itself — from covering vents with mesh to block embers from entering to using fire-resistant building materials — for all new constructions since 2008. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 These rules manifest as algorithms, AI models, platforms, technological infrastructure and social convention, hardening through use into the conditions of cultural life. — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardening

Verb

Make vegan avocado ice cream by blending avocado, coconut milk, and lemon zest and freezing it in an ice cream maker.

— Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
There is no shortage of unstudied percolation systems that their technique could apply to — like graphs where the nodes don’t all look identical, or more complicated models that describe freezing water or quantum materials.

— Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of freezing

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

Verb

Offering a 35% incentive aimed at stiffening up jobs here and enticing post-production to relocate to the Golden State, AB 2319 is racing toward a vote in the state Senate by next week once the bill is in final shape.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Softening rather than stiffening when moving through space requires embracing your body’s natural sway and tiny micro-movements, like an ankle wobbling or knee jiggling.

— Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of stiffening

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hardened

hardening

hardens

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“Hardening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardening. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hardening

verb

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