How to Use firm in a Sentence

firm

1 of 4 adjective
  • The time has come for us to take a firm stand.
  • He spoke to her in a soft but firm voice.
  • She has a firm grasp of the basic principles.
  • The children need gentle but firm handling.
  • They insist on maintaining firm control over the project.
  • Healthy roots are firm and white.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The skin should be thick and firm.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The skin should be thick and firm.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 21 May 2026
  • Choose firm leeks with bright green tops.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
  • Roots should be green or white and firm.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
  • This all leads to firmer, glowier skin.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 27 Feb. 2026
  • This all leads to firmer, glowier skin.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 23 May 2026
  • The meat should feel firm and cold to the touch.
    — Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2026
  • This all leads to tighter, firmer, and brighter skin.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 8 Jan. 2026
  • That means firm greens, a fast course and frayed nerves.
    — Doug Ferguson, Twin Cities, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Choose those with bright green tops and firm white bulbs with white roots.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
  • William has been much firmer from the outset.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Which type of mattress is the firmest?
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • And so far, hosts are keeping prices firm.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
  • The cushions are soft but firm and stay in place.
    — Melissa Maria, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2025
  • No, and that is a firm rule in our household.
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 12 June 2026
  • This works best with firm tomatoes.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Mature seeds will be dry, firm, and brown.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Choose melons that feel heavy and firm but not hard.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
  • Check for firm tubers and swelling eyes in the dahlias.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Look for beets with firm skin and vibrant green leaves.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Iron in straight strokes with even and firm pressure.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
  • That's a much firmer line than Charles' side of the street.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • Look for firm mushrooms that are free of soft spots or mold.
    — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Look for firm, straight spears with tightly closed tips.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026

firm

2 of 4 adverb
  • As part of the deal, Sammons became the firm’s largest shareholder.
    — Justin Baer and Margot Patrick, WSJ, 20 June 2018
  • Its immaculate white flesh, firm textured and clean tasting, lends itself to a wide variety of flavor profiles.
    — Anchorage Daily News, 2 May 2018
  • One of that firm’s biggest clients is a company helmed by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
    — Matt Richardson, Fox News, 9 May 2018
  • Morse is one of Michigan's most visible attorneys with TV spots and billboard ads that call his personal injury law firm the largest in the state.
    — Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 3 July 2019
  • Congratulations to Robyn Denholm, the new chairwoman of Tesla’s board! Denholm got her start at the now-defunct Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm best known for its work shredding Enron’s documents.
    — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 9 Nov. 2018
  • Big-name attorney Morse is one of Michigan's most visible attorneys with TV spots and billboard ads that call his personal injury law firm the largest in the state.
    — Jc Reindl, Detroit Free Press, 19 June 2019
  • And his vision of bachata brought the genre boldly into the present, and also set an unwitting template for how Spanish-language music could firm-footedly interface with pop’s other streams, arguably laying the groundwork for Latin megastars like Bad Bunny.
    — New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

firm

3 of 4 verb
  • Once the eggs begin to firm up, add the cheese.
    — Ashia Aubourg, Outside, 8 Feb. 2026
  • If left alone, this mixture will firm up over time.
    — Outside, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Once that happens, prices are sure to firm up and go up.
    — Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Gently firm the top of the mix with your hand or a small board.
    — Kerry Michaels, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
  • This is your moment to stand firm and set a new standard.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
  • Transfer the balls to a dryer on high heat to firm up the fibers.
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 18 Jan. 2026
  • All creatures have the right to firm boundaries!
    — Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
  • Backfill the soil around the root balls and press down gently on the soil to firm it.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Doohan is yet to firm up any racing plans for 2026.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Gently firm the medium around each stem to keep it upright.
    — Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 31 Jan. 2026
  • Gently firm the soil around the roots to remove air pockets.
    — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Now a coalition of the unwilling has firmed up.
    — Paul Elie, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • When is the right time to jump to firm conclusions about any player or any team?
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
  • This plumping and firming serum helps her channel that ethos.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Once the cheesecake has firmed up, prepare it for freezing.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Refill the hole, firming the soil around the plant to avoid air pockets.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Once in place, carefully tamp down the soil with your hands and water well to firm the soil.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The others are being kept under wraps for the time being as deals firm up.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
  • Gently firm the soil around the cuttings to keep them upright and water them in.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
  • Backfill the hole with more soil or compost, firm the soil around the plant’s stems, and water well.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Gently firm the potting mix around the garlic and water the cloves.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Nov. 2025
  • Level and gently firm the surface.
    — Holly McNamara, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Avoid refrigeration, which can cause the flesh to firm up.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Backfill with more potting mix, lightly firming it around the roots.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
  • Bury the stems about 1 inch deep in the substrate and firm the soil around the cuttings to keep them upright.
    — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Dec. 2025
  • This mattress-in-a-box design takes about 72 hours to expand and firm up.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Allow to set-up to firm in cool place on kitchen counter or in refrigerator.
    — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Prepare the soil by leveling and firming it.
    — Elizabeth Jardina, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Shoppers of all ages are seeing stellar results with this firming neck cream.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 31 May 2026
  • First, Payton will need to firm up his coaching staff in the event of any departures.
    — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026

firm

4 of 4 noun
  • That’s where his firm comes in.
    — Andrew Saunders, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Malakauskas’ firm was not on that list.
    — Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Both firms kept their buy ratings.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Big firms, too, are riding the wave.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The firms that win the next decade of buy & build won’t just be those with the best deal flow.
    — Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Many firms choose to address more than one segment to avoid such risks.
    — Ezgi Eyüboğlu, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 May 2026
  • So did just about every firm on Wall Street.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 3 June 2026
  • Each firm has their own estimates.
    — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 13 May 2026
  • His firm sued the village in 2021.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
  • And these mega cap tech conglomerates are those types of firms.
    — Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 12 June 2023
  • My firm has more than 600 clients in the mid-Atlantic area.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The firm has a buy rating and a $330 price target on the stock.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
  • Similarly, the law firms that did that.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The firm said staffing demand is improving.
    — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Wall Street has been driving up the value of firms tied to the sector.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
  • The medium-firm feel is great for all different kinds of sleepers.
    — Christopher Murray 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, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.
    — Wini Moranville, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2023
  • The footage sparked a huge online backlash against Szczerek and his firm.
    — Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
  • The investment firm upgraded the stock to buy from hold.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Freeze the bites on your baking sheet until firm, 30 minutes to one hour.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The law firm ranked the 10 most deadliest stretches in its study.
    — Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 24 Sep. 2025
  • And the firm’s veterans are not afraid to dissent either.
    — Ruth Umoh, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
  • In firms, status is not only gained through formal title.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • The firm also raised its price target to $28 from $24.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The firms have an average of 32 years in business.
    — Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea,kelli Grant, Cfp®, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Every firm on Sand Hill Road has its own podcast.
    — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Oh Kyung-sook (played by Moon So-ri), who has beef with Hwang’s firm.
    — TIME, 27 Dec. 2023
  • Given all this noise, the average firm has chosen not to lay off workers on a large scale.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Other firms on the Street have upped their targets on Micron as well.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 17 June 2026
  • Many tech firms have grown stronger, but this year shows that even the most savvy and well-funded players have room to improve.
    — Kevan Yalowitz, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: