strengthening 1 of 3

adjective

as in reviving

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strengthening

2 of 3

noun

as in increase

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Dissimilar Words

strengthening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of strengthen
1
as in hardening
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 fortifying
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 deepening
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 bracing
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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5
as in stiffening
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe a bill was introduced to strengthen punishments for hate crimes

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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 strengthening
Noun
The storm, located a little more than 500 miles east of the northern Philippines, has been taking advantage of ideal conditions for tropical cyclone sustenance and strengthening. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026 The rebuttal is that much of this outlay has been wasteful, blown on poor recruitment choices while other areas badly in need of strengthening have been neglected. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 During the call, the two presidents also emphasized the continuation and strengthening of bilateral and strategic cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, according to the Iranian state news agency's readout. — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026 In one of the most dramatic bouts of rapid intensification of a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean on record, Hurricane Polo has exploded into a major Category 5 storm, with more strengthening expected through the day. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The return and strengthening of those westerly winds are part of the normal seasonal development of the vortex. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 Regular exercise and strengthening can help reduce knee cracking caused by conditions like osteoarthritis or patellofemoral pain syndrome. — Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026 However, Anheuser-Busch Inbev's strengthening foothold in non-beer beverage categories could drive shares higher, according to Deutsche Bank. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 Some gradual strengthening was forecast over the coming days. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
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 The formula includes peptides and rosemary to stimulate new growth, while strengthening your length. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 25 Oct. 2026 Throughout their playoff run, much has changed, strengthening their identity as a team and pushing them closer to making history. — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Join Fortune‘s Sam Birchall and a group of CFOs on Wednesday 28th October to discuss practical perspectives on strengthening capability, continuity, and long-term resilience in finance. — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Even a modest drop in support could shape Tuesday’s tight election, helping opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot or strengthening hard-line parties that may keep Netanyahu in power. — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Europeans have responded by boosting military spending, strengthening their own weapons industries and seeking greater strategic independence. — Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 The Bills are also coming off a Monday night overtime game, strengthening the home underdog’s case. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthening
  1. conditioning
  2. increase
  3. hardening
  4. fortifying
  5. deepening
  6. bracing
  7. stiffening
  8. stimulating
Adjective
  • Cayenne owners will be able to track charging via their My Porsche app and are able to create pre-conditioning settings to meet their individual needs.
    — Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Dyson also claims that the Omega nourishing collection delivers up to 94 percent stronger hair, compared to using non-conditioning shampoo on straight hair.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of conditioning
Noun
  • Maine, North Carolina and Ohio also have seen increases of more than 30% in early in-person and mail voting compared with the same point in 2022.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Washington State reported a much lower $86 million for 2026; however, that’s an increase of $11 million from 2025, as the athletic department has returned to a budget equal to the final year of the old Pac-12 in fiscal 2024.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • 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
Definition of hardening
Verb
  • Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its ‌border ⁠in April 2024.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of fortifying
Verb
  • David Roche, a veteran strategist at Quantum Strategy & Geonomics, said the Arctic's importance lies less in its potential to transform global shipping than in the deepening economic dependence between Russia and China.
    — Lee Ying Shan,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Over the weekend, political leaders from Marsabit County warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis that could overwhelm host communities already struggling with food and water shortages worsened by climate change.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of deepening
Verb
  • Residents have been bracing to see what El Niño has in store this winter after an active hurricane season that has dramatically reshaped many of Southern California’s most famous beaches, including in San Clemente and adjacent Capistrano Beach.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Wall Street is bracing for what is expected to be a downer quarter from the OTT service.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bracing
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
Adjective
  • Those who understand quickly move forward, while those who need more time, a different explanation or a less stimulating environment can easily fall behind.
    — Irma Davarashvili, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • These adaptogenics also cost as much, if not more, than alcoholic spirits, such as Three Spirit, which incorporates ingredients such as guayusa (stimulating effects), damiana (aphrodisiac effects) and valerian (stress-relieving effects).
    — Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of stimulating

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

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

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