1
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strengthen
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to harden
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortify
This CeraVe moisturizer is fortified with SPF 30 to protect against the sun’s rays, all while hydrating your skin and repairing its barrier.
—
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The Lost Cause was fortified by presidential power and bulwarked for a century by Jim Crow.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
Yet, when Ruben positions himself as Niall’s protector at school and, in turn, Niall risks everything to help Ruben, the pair form an intense alliance fortified by secrets, obligation and obsession.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The front office fortified the defense in free agency.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fortify
Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
The Lost Cause was fortified by presidential power and bulwarked for a century by Jim Crow.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
Yet, when Ruben positions himself as Niall’s protector at school and, in turn, Niall risks everything to help Ruben, the pair form an intense alliance fortified by secrets, obligation and obsession.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
The front office fortified the defense in free agency.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fortify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortify
Verb
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On April 14th, as Kyiv braced for a round of Russian strikes, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was seven hundred and fifty miles away, in Berlin, forging a defense agreement with Germany, part of a tour of European allies to raise support for military aid.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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But as the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season nears, many Floridians are bracing for the storm, and that includes buying a hurricane preparedness kit, getting the hurricane shutters out of the garage, and/or devising what to do with your car.—
Jennifer Sangalang,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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October 23 – November 21 An honest shift today strengthens what truly matters.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 An honest shift today strengthens what truly matters.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inside the nearly empty Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA last Monday afternoon, the air rumbles and judders and roars like a B-52 engine readying for takeoff.—
Erik Pedersen,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
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And across the street from Hyde Park Academy, construction crews swarmed to ready the Obama Presidential Center behemoth for its Juneteenth opening date.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortify. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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