STEEL Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

steel 1 of 2

noun

ˈstēl

Definition of steel

as in sword

a hand weapon with a length of metal sharpened on one or both sides and usually tapered to a sharp point drew steel on the bandits, who immediately fled for their lives

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steel

2 of 2

verb

as in to inspire

to fill with courage or strength of purpose hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to strengthen

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to brace

to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 steel

Noun

While the signature chromium-molybdenum tubular steel frame is retained, there’s a completely new cast-aluminum subframe that incorporates the airbox and side air intakes. — New Atlas, 4 July 2026 The floors are being raised, the ceilings lifted, the structure reinforced with steel and concrete, and the open floor plan complemented by smart home technologies and high-performance internal systems. — Mark David, Robb Report, 4 July 2026

Verb

The eye fixed on me, binding me to millions—billions—of other eyes, only steels my resolve to see my sacrifice through to the end. — Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026 The Leopards steeled themselves, took a breath, went again, even as star man Noah Sadiki was forced off with an injury. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for steel

Recent Examples of Synonyms for steel

Noun

Her handmaiden points out that a sword contradicts her message of peace and suggests instead a chain.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
But, as exciting as swords and dragons are, that’s not really what his show is about.

— Brian Grubb, Vulture, 6 July 2026

Definition of sword

Verb

Manucurist formulates its masks with panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, to hydrate and strengthen dry nails over time, reducing breakage.

— Irene Richardson, InStyle, 4 July 2026
The only way to preserve our republic is to strengthen the pillars of our present with the mortar of our past.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of strengthen

Verb

Valentine also testified that the FDA encourages infant formula companies to send in all adverse event reports and that nothing prevented Mead Johnson from doing so.

— David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Going forward, the city will encourage data center developers to submit an application for a special use district, meaning the site would specifically be used for a data center, nothing else.

— Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 2 July 2026

Definition of encourage

Verb

The organizations that succeed build the platform first, establish a real control plane, harden the data and infrastructure layers, and then let teams scale agents on top of it.

— Harsha Kotikela, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
The interview, released in August, was supposed to follow the show’s usual strange logic, but instead the exchange hardened around Gaza, with Friedland growing visibly emotional as Torres remained largely unmoved.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026

Definition of harden

Verb

Or mountains of chips covered in mole or salsa fortified with chile pasilla in Oaxaca.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
All of this came after Florida’s four trades for star forward Brady Tkachuk, starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom, backup goaltender Akira Schmid and fourth-line forward Garnet Hathaway to fortify what on paper was already a stout roster.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026

Definition of fortify

Verb

It can also be used as a bench, bearing up to 355 pounds.

— Caitlyn Martyn 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, 11 Aug. 2025
This annual migration has made nearby Churchill, Manitoba, an ideal destination for thousands of tourists each year who want to witness these bears up close.

— Gloria Dickie, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of bear up

Browse Nearby Words

steeks

steel

steeled

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Steel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steel. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of steel

noun

verb

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