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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of steel
Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Along with pepper mills, Dansk is known for its original enamel steel pots and pans.
—Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Resolve suddenly became steeled.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Noun
The mansion features a limestone-and-concrete facade that opens to reveal plaster walls and ceilings, custom raw-steel railings, and European wide-plank white oak floors throughout.
—Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2026
Along with pepper mills, Dansk is known for its original enamel steel pots and pans.
—Shagun Khare, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Some of it is gut feeling based the maniacal want Cristobal has steeled in his players.
—Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
Resolve suddenly became steeled.
—CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for steel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steel
Noun
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Above one entryway, a sword is lodged in the stone, said to have found its place there in the eighth century after being thrown more than 100 miles by Roland, the hero of the medieval chanson that bears his name.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The preschooler wandered the room, swinging a thin plastic rod from a set of window blinds like a toy sword.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While it was made in the ‘90s, the collection (which showed slip dresses, shirts with undulating ruffles, and jacquard silk jackets constructed to look permanently burst-open) was inspired by the romance between Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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The work was inspired by cephalopods such as octopuses, which can rapidly alter their skin’s appearance and texture to blend into their surroundings or communicate.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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PSyn supports that work by helping health plans and employer groups strengthen benefit strategy through education, practical analysis, and operational guidance grounded in real-world pharmacy experience.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Every morning, seahorses greet their other half by performing a rhythmic dance that can last minutes or even hours to strengthen their bond.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The apartment was unusually still, my coffee beside me gone cold, as if bracing for what would come next.—
Adrianne Wright,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Now requests are arriving steadily from New York, Maine, and Milan, other locales bracing for their own sieges.—
Kathryn Savage,
Artforum,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Your 7th House of Partnership steadies as boundary-setting Saturn arrives, encouraging clear agreements across your closest bonds so your diplomatic style can bring fairness without overgiving.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The evening was more about the vibe; Gelman encourages all guests to dress up in fancy cocktail attire.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For years, this unspoken truth has hardened her, shaping her into a woman of precision and emotional distance — a mother who learned survival through silence.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Feb. 2026
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Water your plants regularly during the hardening off process, but slowly decrease how much water your plants receive.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Connecticut should continue to fortify its legal framework so that care decisions remain between patients, families, and medical professionals — not politicians or out-of-state actors — and so that the right to bodily autonomy is grounded as securely as possible in state law.—
Matthew Blinstrubas,
Hartford Courant,
7 Feb. 2026
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This means not every cereal is fortified to the same degree or even necessarily fortified at all.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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Harriet remembered there was something: inexpressibly affecting in the aspect of the frail little creature who had done such wonderful things, and who was able to bear up, with so bright an eye and so composed a countenance, under not only such a weight of sorrow, but such a prospect of solitude.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steel. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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