1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in froze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toughened
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stiffened
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of hardened
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 July 2026
Hauser played hardened ranch foreman Rip Wheeler on the Paramount Network series that ran from 2018 to 2024.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2026
Embedded in hardened gypsum soil, the footprints were surrounded by ancient grass seeds radiocarbon dated to between 21,130 and 22,860 years ago.
—
Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Kimberli Pierce said her husband came home a hardened man.
—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Strong integrity, without humility or collaboration, becomes rigidity—as seen in Steve Jobs, whose candor fueled innovation but hardened relationships.
—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The companies say the Ruta Block 3 is designed for strategic deep-strike missions against high-value and hardened targets.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
That even once took two hardened ex-pros and pundits, Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, by surprise before a game that William was attending, with George, in Paris in April 2024.
—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 June 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
She’s hardened, and these two young people from culinary school, Carmy and Sydney, threaten more loss in this family.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
Underneath the concrete, the soil is hardened once again, and filled with debris.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
If Socrates is the intellectual hero of the ancient world, and Jesus the spiritual hero, Odysseus—hardened, brutal, grief-struck, determined to reclaim his home—is the human hero, the whole man.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
The left’s internationalism—once the calling card of progress—has hardened into hostility to Israel, across academia, NGOs, mainstream-media outlets, and the United Nations.
—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Over the previous three postseasons, heartbreak hardened this core.
—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Her tenor hardened during her Friday radio interview.
—
Nicholas Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Adjective
Follow these steps to get rid of hardened residue, odors, and germs, and learn how to make outdoor trash cans a little less yucky.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
3 July 2026
Hauser played hardened ranch foreman Rip Wheeler on the Paramount Network series that ran from 2018 to 2024.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2026
Embedded in hardened gypsum soil, the footprints were surrounded by ancient grass seeds radiocarbon dated to between 21,130 and 22,860 years ago.
—
Joe Yogerst,
CNN Money,
27 June 2026
Kimberli Pierce said her husband came home a hardened man.
—
Erin Moriarty,
CBS News,
26 June 2026
Strong integrity, without humility or collaboration, becomes rigidity—as seen in Steve Jobs, whose candor fueled innovation but hardened relationships.
—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
The companies say the Ruta Block 3 is designed for strategic deep-strike missions against high-value and hardened targets.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 June 2026
The story began with Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, getting hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.
—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
That even once took two hardened ex-pros and pundits, Rio Ferdinand and Ally McCoist, by surprise before a game that William was attending, with George, in Paris in April 2024.
—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Verb
That separates vendors who truly hardened their posture from those who just updated their talking points.
—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 June 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
She’s hardened, and these two young people from culinary school, Carmy and Sydney, threaten more loss in this family.
—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
26 June 2026
Underneath the concrete, the soil is hardened once again, and filled with debris.
—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
26 June 2026
If Socrates is the intellectual hero of the ancient world, and Jesus the spiritual hero, Odysseus—hardened, brutal, grief-struck, determined to reclaim his home—is the human hero, the whole man.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
The left’s internationalism—once the calling card of progress—has hardened into hostility to Israel, across academia, NGOs, mainstream-media outlets, and the United Nations.
—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Over the previous three postseasons, heartbreak hardened this core.
—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Her tenor hardened during her Friday radio interview.
—
Nicholas Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.
-
For your safety, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
Adjective
-
The weather service’s forecast discussion for Kansas City said the stubborn heat could last through the Fourth of July.
-
Against all odds, the stubborn housing market has become a hotspot for young talent.
Verb
-
While no layoffs were proposed, the city froze hiring for several positions, including animal control officer, code enforcement officer, and senior civil engineer.
-
The senator froze up while speaking with reporters in two 2023 incidents and suffered several falls, using a wheelchair at times as a precaution.
Verb
-
Away from social media, the roommates have settled into simple traditions that have only strengthened their friendship.
-
Flag football’s prolific growth has strengthened the sport at every amateur level from peewees to the Olympics and led to the NFL’s $32 million commitment for men’s and women’s professional flag leagues to debut next year.
Verb
-
Pulisic played a dynamic first half in the Americans' historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay to open their home World Cup nearly two weeks ago, but the AC Milan midfielder came off at halftime after an injury from training stiffened up.
-
Nicks on the edge or stiffened, curled rubber will leave streaks.
Adjective
-
Modales leans into cold-hardy grapes varieties like blaufränkisch, the spicy Austrian red variety that has become a favorite by-the-glass pour at Ox Bar.
-
PeeGee thrives in summer heat and is exceptionally cold-hardy, tolerating full sun and partial shade.
Adjective
-
While waiting to go to court, Zaayer remained adamant that Shawna needed to go to prison but was also convinced that David — who worked at the nearby jail — was protecting his wife from receiving an adequate punishment, per The Guardian.
-
But Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has been adamant that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the legislation, given the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Adjective
-
Beyond California, scientists are raising alarms over the planet’s warming oceans, which — coupled with a strong El Niño — could increase temperatures for land dwellers in the coming weeks.
-
Weather aside, Fall/Winter 2026 Haute Couture Week, running from July 6 to 9, will feature shows from 30 houses, compared with FW25’s 27-strong line-up.
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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