as in armed
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1
as in inspired
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams
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2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman
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3
as in braced
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise
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Recent Examples of steeled
Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to face Muller in court.
—Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Some of it is gut feeling based the maniacal want Cristobal has steeled in his players.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Players typically don’t call their head coach in early summer with good news, so Journell steeled himself.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
The lawyer steeled himself for the next 90 minutes.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Few coaches know that better than Mike Vrabel, who steeled his team ahead of what many expected to be a toss-up game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
His sacrifice has steeled our resolve, redoubled our commitment and only increased our determination to save America at this critical turning point.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
The Leopards steeled themselves, took a breath, went again, even as star man Noah Sadiki was forced off with an injury.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Denise and Aaron steeled themselves to face Muller in court.
—Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
Some of it is gut feeling based the maniacal want Cristobal has steeled in his players.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
For decades, humankind steeled itself for the rise of thinking machines.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 11 Dec. 2025
Players typically don’t call their head coach in early summer with good news, so Journell steeled himself.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025
The lawyer steeled himself for the next 90 minutes.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
Few coaches know that better than Mike Vrabel, who steeled his team ahead of what many expected to be a toss-up game.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2025
His sacrifice has steeled our resolve, redoubled our commitment and only increased our determination to save America at this critical turning point.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeled
Adjective
-
Video of the event shows the president being ushered off the stage a few seconds later, as armed guards wearing tactical gear and large rifles appeared on the dais.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Officers were seen armed and standing guard near the hotel, as flags of Pakistan waved in the distance.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
What a shame if our children’s children could not be inspired by the wonders of the night sky.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The killings inspired community concerns about security at the multistory complex in the Brownsville neighborhood, including what some said was a need for more security cameras.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the latest edition of the MLB World Tour strengthened the perception of binational ties, coming in a stadium named after a Padres minority owner with a significant stake.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The gangland drama is deeper and darker than the domestic one, strengthened by the unexpected portrayal of the Russian toughs as bumbling in their own way.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under all that pressure, where fans have paid premiums on tickets and hotels, and with a White House administration that has made this World Cup a priority issue, is the union braced for the heat which may come its way?—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
If true, the solution was pretty straightforward — the replacement of the tubes with ones that have a greater wall thickness and/or are braced to prevent the vibrations that created the cracks.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Overlooking the São Lourenço estate is the hilltop town of Monserraz, a fortified settlement with an imposing castle and warren of streets to explore, as well as stunning views over the Guadiana river to the Spanish border.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Located to the west of Normandy, this understated roughly 25-mile stretch of shoreline runs from the oyster-famous town of Cancale to the dramatic cliffs of Cap Fréhel, encompassing the fortified city of Saint-Malo and quaint seaside villages like Saint-Lunaire—our base for the next several days.—
Maddy Odom,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Behavior that had long been tolerated, if not encouraged, would no longer be accepted.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
-
This paper editorialized in support of that petition and encouraged the state’s attorney to voluntarily step aside.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But their hearts were hardened.—
Letters to the Editor,
Washington Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The judges also said the district court’s ruling violated a 1996 federal law that hardened immigration enforcement and restricted judicial power on immigration.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeled. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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