as in sword
a hand weapon with a length of metal sharpened on one or both sides and usually tapered to a sharp point
drew steel on the bandits, who immediately fled for their lives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to inspire
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to strengthen
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to brace
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of steel
Drew Hawkins, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
According to the Detroit Free Press, the blue steel pans were originally — according to legend — used for auto parts.
—The Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
And this game plan demands his best work, steeling Jarrett Stidham for the biggest challenge of his career, or any career for that matter.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Noun
Normally, this is when Taylor would use a 20-inch diameter steel disk to slice the soil open beside the plants and add nitrogen fertilizer.
—Drew Hawkins, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
According to the Detroit Free Press, the blue steel pans were originally — according to legend — used for auto parts.
—The Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
So, once again, steel yourself.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
And this game plan demands his best work, steeling Jarrett Stidham for the biggest challenge of his career, or any career for that matter.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steel
Noun
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Decadent art, with its mannerism, also its enthusiasm for skulls, swords, strippers, and other Hot Topic motifs, is for some art historians an embarrassing cul-de-sac best passed over in favor of a narrative of formal progress leading inevitably to abstraction.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The layout resembled a samurai sword, where the hardest material is concentrated mainly along the cutting edge.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
The music that we were inspired by at that time and looking to as luminaries never had a broad appeal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The hotel’s 42 guest rooms–all of which have balconies with city views, soft furnishings made from upcycled kimonos and sakiori weavings, parquet flooring inspired by tatami patterns and Nagoya tiles in the bathrooms–occupy two additional floors below the club spaces.—
Terry Ward,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Nexstar contends the deal would strengthen TV station economics, allowing stations to bolster their news gathering and expand the number of newscasts.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The medication can help strengthen the floor-of-mouth muscles, keeping the dog’s airway more open.—
Taneia Surles,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
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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Officials also encourage businesses to give customers a glimpse of how dim sum is made through live-streaming.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
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Becerra proposes to require cities and counties to approve or deny building permits within 90 days, loosening certain regulations for infill projects and reforming construction defect laws to encourage more construction of entry-level condos.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Lightly scrub grout or tile lines before buildup hardens further.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
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Emery prefers his players to be battle-hardened and to be involved in matches, rather than just training.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Breslow’s job was to fortify that group, and his trade for first baseman Willson Contreras was not enough of an answer.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Particularly so at the positions that Denver still needs to fortify.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.—
Caitlyn Martyn
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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Harriet remembered there was something: inexpressibly affecting in the aspect of the frail little creature who had done such wonderful things, and who was able to bear up, with so bright an eye and so composed a countenance, under not only such a weight of sorrow, but such a prospect of solitude.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steel. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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