as in sturdy
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1
as in hardened
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
lifting weights every day will eventually strengthen your muscles the army makes new recruits run for miles in order to strengthen them
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fortified
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
required weeks of physical therapy to strengthen his arm enough to pitch for the team again
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3
as in intensified
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
encouraged the boarding school students to strengthen their ties with the community by doing public service
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4
as in braced
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
strengthened herself for the moment she'd have to tell her friend that she had lost the borrowed necklace
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Recent Examples of strengthened
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
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
Attacks put city on high alert New Orleans has strengthened public safety measures over the past year — particularly around large public gatherings — since a deadly truck ramming killed 14 people during a New Year’s celebration.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The central tenet of criticism of late 20th- and 21st-century IP is that copyright and patent law are continually strengthened for corporate rights holders at the expense of creativity, innovation, human rights, and traditional knowledge.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Congress enacted the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, which dramatically strengthened corporate disclosure requirements and executive accountability.
—Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
It can be learned, practiced and strengthened.
—Nicole Hockley, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2025, state legislators strengthened that law by adding additional protections.
—Karen Brown, NPR, 17 Apr. 2026
Her approach reflects a belief that leadership is strengthened through curiosity, adaptability and persistence.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The foundations were welded and bolted to the strengthened deck, and the rotors themselves, fabricated with inner steel cores and composite shells, were then lifted by crane.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 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
Attacks put city on high alert New Orleans has strengthened public safety measures over the past year — particularly around large public gatherings — since a deadly truck ramming killed 14 people during a New Year’s celebration.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The central tenet of criticism of late 20th- and 21st-century IP is that copyright and patent law are continually strengthened for corporate rights holders at the expense of creativity, innovation, human rights, and traditional knowledge.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Congress enacted the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, which dramatically strengthened corporate disclosure requirements and executive accountability.
—Perrie M. Weiner, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
It can be learned, practiced and strengthened.
—Nicole Hockley, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
In 2025, state legislators strengthened that law by adding additional protections.
—Karen Brown, NPR, 17 Apr. 2026
Her approach reflects a belief that leadership is strengthened through curiosity, adaptability and persistence.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Adjective
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The team-captain label and All-American honors help, but the real selling points are Schrauth’s sturdy frame, strong hands and a physical style that works in tight quarters.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In an untitled work from 1995, a cluster of sturdy wagons sits at the edge of a frozen lake, a site where her family of peripatetic horse traders often camped.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 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
Verb
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Bianco, meanwhile, fortified his position as a law and order candidate.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
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The outraged reactions only intensified, including claims that teams would be reticent to do business with the Ravens in the future.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Already ongoing for days ahead of the visit, discussions about handling security intensified after a heavily armed man sprinted through security and got yards away from the banquet hall crowded with about 2,000 journalists, federal officials and celebrities before he was tackled to the ground.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The journey of King Charles and the Queen consort had been planned for some time, well before relations between the United Kingdom and the United States stiffened due to international tensions, compounded by the assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.—
Giorgia Olivieri,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But her thickened skin, along with her toughened reputation, felt supple now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
18 July 2025
Verb
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The film came in nearly $30 million ahead of projections and its domestic haul sets a new record for the biggest opening ever for a biographical film, surpassing Oppenheimer’s $80 million debut (not adjusted for inflation).—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
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Though again, this data has not been adjusted for regional differences in cost of living.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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