1
as in to harden
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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2
as in to fortify
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 to enhance
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 to brace
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of strengthen
Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin urged local universities to take a more active role in attracting global talent and strengthening Hong Kong's reputation as a premier destination for higher education.
—
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
The Iranian government, meanwhile, exploited the Assad regime’s weakness to strengthen its influence across Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, destabilizing those countries and strengthening armed nonstate groups.
—Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
For the last two years, Fay Elementary School has been a community school — part of a state-level program designed to strengthen the partnership between local schools and their communities by providing school-specific resources for families and students.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
The egg shell is strengthened further by a thin inner collagen layer.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
The Iranian government, meanwhile, exploited the Assad regime’s weakness to strengthen its influence across Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, destabilizing those countries and strengthening armed nonstate groups.
—Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
For the last two years, Fay Elementary School has been a community school — part of a state-level program designed to strengthen the partnership between local schools and their communities by providing school-specific resources for families and students.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2025
The egg shell is strengthened further by a thin inner collagen layer.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for strengthen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthen
Verb
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Remember, this isn’t about gaming the system—you’re hardening your company.—
Gabriel Labrada,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Wilders last week held a rare, formal press conference to present the government with an ultimatum for hardening the country’s asylum policy – despite the fact that the minister for asylum and migration is a member of his own party.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Lawmakers should strengthen existing incentives for states and cities to adopt resilience measures—fortifying homes against wind, hail, flooding, and wildfires—to lower costs for both property owners and insurance companies when disasters strike.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
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Other studies show that tea decreased iron absorption from wheat bread fortified with ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumarate by 56 to 72%.1 Individual variation: Still, additional research is necessary to establish the best time to drink tea without affecting iron absorption.—
Melissa Nieves,
Verywell Health,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Its main three areas of focus revolve around advocating for the legal profession, eliminating bias and enhancing diversity, as well as advancing the rule of law.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
30 May 2025
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Britt wants to see expansions of two child care tax breaks, as she’s pushed a bipartisan measure with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) aimed at enhancing support for child and dependent care.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Verb
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While this can present challenges like balancing our workloads between AI agents and employees, with careful preparation and testing, companies can better brace themselves for the future.—
Syed Ahmed,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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Becker’s premise is bracing: Tech oligarchs’ wildest visions of tomorrow amount to a modern secular theology that is both mesmerizing and, in his view, deeply misguided.—
John Kaag,
The Atlantic,
28 May 2025
Verb
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The schedule stiffens considerably over the back half of the season.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 May 2025
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Lucy’s Law, among other things, stiffens the penalties for seriously injuring someone in a boat crash.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
9 May 2025
Verb
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New steering column paddles adjust regenerative braking to recapture energy, but there’s no one-pedal setting to bring the bZ to a full stop.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
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The handle can even be extended from 26 inches to 32.5 inches, or adjusted down to a 90-degree angle and back.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during recent global disruptions have highlighted the fragility of our food systems and have intensified competition while simultaneously opening new markets.—
Persa Sakellaridi,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Democrats on the House Small Business Committee have urged the Trump administration to bolster support for small businesses and ensure that federal programs are adequately funded, while also seeking to remove barriers to funding.—
Dan Gooding
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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This fiscal year, the program issued more than $12 million in federal funding to nonprofits, municipal police and state agencies to bolster safety for all users of the road.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Strengthen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthen. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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