as in sturdy
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1
as in hardened
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 fortified
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 intensified
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 braced
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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Recent Examples of strengthened
Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
Education outcomes — especially whether students show up to school — are strengthened when families have strong connections to their child’s school.
—Arne Duncan, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Losing 3-0 to Palace at Wembley last season was a major failure, yet has only strengthened their desire to right the wrongs this time.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
While speaking with The Guardian in July 2023, Felicity said that their proximity in age strengthened their sisterly bond as teenagers.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Others insist that increased US fossil fuel production has, for now, strengthened Washington’s hand and helped steady global markets.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
In this particular case, legal justification will flow through China's Anti-Monopoly Law, first enacted in 2008 and strengthened through amendments in 2022, and originally presented as a mechanism to ensure fair market competition.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
The central tenet of criticism of late 20th- and 21st-century IP is that copyright and patent law are continually strengthened for corporate rights holders at the expense of creativity, innovation, human rights, and traditional knowledge.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The foundations were welded and bolted to the strengthened deck, and the rotors themselves, fabricated with inner steel cores and composite shells, were then lifted by crane.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 21 Apr. 2026
Arreola, who knew Jackson for more than 20 years, says his lasting legacy will live on in the young leaders shaped through Rainbow/PUSH and in the strengthened relationship between Latino and Black communities in Chicago.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.
—Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
—CBS News, 1 May 2026
Education outcomes — especially whether students show up to school — are strengthened when families have strong connections to their child’s school.
—Arne Duncan, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Losing 3-0 to Palace at Wembley last season was a major failure, yet has only strengthened their desire to right the wrongs this time.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026
While speaking with The Guardian in July 2023, Felicity said that their proximity in age strengthened their sisterly bond as teenagers.
—Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Others insist that increased US fossil fuel production has, for now, strengthened Washington’s hand and helped steady global markets.
—Jennifer Granholm, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
In this particular case, legal justification will flow through China's Anti-Monopoly Law, first enacted in 2008 and strengthened through amendments in 2022, and originally presented as a mechanism to ensure fair market competition.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026
The central tenet of criticism of late 20th- and 21st-century IP is that copyright and patent law are continually strengthened for corporate rights holders at the expense of creativity, innovation, human rights, and traditional knowledge.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Adjective
-
The 28-meter (92-foot) tall maypole was lifted horizontally on wooden carts and pulled into the village by two sturdy horses from the local beer brewery.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
These knives also feature a sturdy spine for extra heft and durability.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Verb
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They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Emery prefers his players to be battle-hardened and to be involved in matches, rather than just training.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Oat milk can also be fortified with vitamins and minerals like B12, vitamin D, and potassium to boost its nutritional value.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
29 Apr. 2026
-
That said, some white breads are also fortified with other nutrients, such as B vitamins, which can provide nutritional value beyond the fiber found in whole grains.—
Angelica Bottaro,
Verywell Health,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the ’90s, the blockbuster sales of two flea-and-tick medications, Frontline and Advantage, demonstrated untapped demand, and then intensified that demand by enabling new levels of indoor intimacy between dogs and people.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Fear of breaking the law has intensified The reverberations of Florida’s six-week ban have been felt in doctors’ offices and emergency departments across the state.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
On April 14th, as Kyiv braced for a round of Russian strikes, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, was seven hundred and fifty miles away, in Berlin, forging a defense agreement with Germany, part of a tour of European allies to raise support for military aid.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Celtics, who have run into Philadelphia in the playoffs several times in recent years, braced for a fiery atmosphere.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The journey of King Charles and the Queen consort had been planned for some time, well before relations between the United Kingdom and the United States stiffened due to international tensions, compounded by the assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.—
Giorgia Olivieri,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But her thickened skin, along with her toughened reputation, felt supple now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Trump announced a toughened stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine on Monday, setting a 50-day deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face sanctions.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
18 July 2025
Verb
-
Over its 36-year lifespan, it’s been adjusted six times with little opposition.—
Sierra Lopez,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
The first movie opened in June 2006 and would go on to earn over $326 million worldwide, not adjusted for inflation.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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