hardening

verb

Definition of hardeningnext
present participle of harden
1
as in freezing
to become physically firm or solid the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air

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2
as in strengthening
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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3
as in toughening
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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4
as in stiffening
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 hardening But hardening schools and practicing lockdown drills, among other steps to reduce school shootings, are not making young people feel safer. — Nina Vinik, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 Residents, meanwhile, can give firefighters the best shot at stopping a potential disaster by clearing flammable vegetation in their yards and fire-hardening their homes. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 The process, called cured-in-place pipe lining, involves inserting a flexible liner into the old pipe, inflating it and hardening it in place. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 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 Allen says homeowners who spend money hardening their properties, including making homes more resistant to wildfires, should receive meaningful benefits from insurers for lowering their risk. — Kenny Choi, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Governments around the world are hardening their AI stances as more agentic hacks breach critical systems. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Nearly all Senate Democrats voted to require the State Department to report on Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, in a continuing sign of the party’s hardening stance toward Israel. — Noah Robertson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 The specifications hardening around agents are careful about this line. — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardening
  1. freezing
  2. strengthening
  3. stiffening
Verb
  • Though freezing overnight lows can still be expected throughout the month, afternoon highs are predicted to remain in the 40s before warming to the low 50s by the end of February.
    — Hali Smith October 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of freezing
Verb
  • These questions shift technology governance from managing individual problems toward strengthening organizational adaptability.
    — Chandini Sheeba, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Eizenkot has campaigned on restoring public trust in government, strengthening Israel’s security, and preserving its foundation as a Jewish democracy.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of strengthening
Verb
  • Proposition 132 attempts to address these concerns by stiffening legal penalties.
    — Joshua Barocas, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But one of the positives Glenn highlighted was the defense stiffening in the red zone against Chicago, which went 2 of 7 inside the New York 20-yard line.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of stiffening

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hardened
hardening
hardens
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Cite this Entry

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

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