HARDEN Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

harden

verb

ˈhär-dᵊn

Definition of harden

as in to freeze

to become physically firm or solid the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to strengthen

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to toughen

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stiffen

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harden Now the companies that recover fastest treat a short, honest, imperfect first statement as more valuable than a polished one that arrives after the narrative has already hardened. — Ronn Torossian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 But fair reporting has been the exception, and in the space left by our silence, speculation has hardened into something being treated as fact. — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026 By many accounts, the doc branch’s preferences hardened into dogma after what happened in the 2021 season. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 The result, DiStefano said, is homeowners who spend tens of thousands of dollars hardening their houses and still get non-renewed. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harden

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harden

Verb

Ice•ology trays use a slow-freezing process designed to separate impurities and air bubbles from the ice, creating crystal-clear cubes that elevate cocktails, mocktails and everyday beverages.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Barnes is cold-based, and thus frozen directly onto the bedrock beneath it, which prevents it from sliding.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of freeze

Verb

The goal is to strengthen leadership skills and explore key topics, including entrepreneurship, innovation, change management, communication and self-promotion.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Low pressure strengthening off the Carolina coast will gradually move northward, while high pressure remains anchored to our north.

— Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of strengthen

Browse Nearby Words

hard-edged

harden

hardened

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Cite this Entry

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“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harden. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of harden

verb

Example Sentences

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