as in sturdy
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 strengthened
Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Maria Hernandez, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
Her storytelling voice is strengthened through past ASB leadership, TED-Ed Student Talks, PBS StoryTellers, and the NBCU Academy, and by attending the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Careers in Film Summit.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
In some ways, the ordeal has strengthened the couple’s bond.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
In fact, the dollar has strengthened against most major currencies.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
Her recent wins on the awards circuit have strengthened the case that Academy voters are embracing both the performance and the narrative surrounding it.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
The policy should not be weakened, but strengthened through improved implementation.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The lengthy negotiations strengthened cooperation.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The development effort includes strengthened safety standards built directly into the ship design.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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
Treatment access has strengthened, including diversion pathways such as Drug Court.
—Maria Hernandez, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
Her storytelling voice is strengthened through past ASB leadership, TED-Ed Student Talks, PBS StoryTellers, and the NBCU Academy, and by attending the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’ Careers in Film Summit.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
In some ways, the ordeal has strengthened the couple’s bond.
—Blane Bachelor, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
In fact, the dollar has strengthened against most major currencies.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2026
Her recent wins on the awards circuit have strengthened the case that Academy voters are embracing both the performance and the narrative surrounding it.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
The policy should not be weakened, but strengthened through improved implementation.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 11 Mar. 2026
The lengthy negotiations strengthened cooperation.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The development effort includes strengthened safety standards built directly into the ship design.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strengthened
Adjective
-
Donica, across from her, is on sturdier ground, fearsome to the point of awe-inspiring in the sustained fury of his fermatas, though his considerable force as a performer longs to be shaped more cleanly.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But Saturday's launches appeared to dim such hopes, signaling defiance by Pyongyang, which in recent months has hardened its stance toward Seoul and urged Washington to drop denuclearization demands as a precondition for talks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Turkey’s defense ministry said in January that Turkey had hardened its border with Iran by adding 380 kilometers of concrete walls, 203 optical towers and 43 observation posts.—
Sam McNeil,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our natural defenses such as mangroves and dunes must be fortified — not destroyed.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Since then, Tehran has fortified Kharg heavily, building air defenses, hardened infrastructure and underground storage designed to keep oil flowing even under sustained attack.—
Imtiaz Tyab,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The rhetoric intensified Friday as GOP lawmakers responded to the attacks in Michigan and Virginia by urging a halt to all immigration into the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The mounting toll has intensified concerns over how to counter drone swarms without depleting interceptor stockpiles that cost millions of dollars each to replace.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bridge operators braced for wind warnings as state highway officials urged people to get home and stay there.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
After a first murderous high, Green spends the rest of the film chasing that euphoria through a recognizable 20th century America braced for inevitable collapse.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After the deputies put him back into the chair, Mitchell’s body stiffened, with his legs straight in front of him and his head lolling back.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Democrats in Congress stiffened their opposition to an appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security, leading to a partial government shutdown.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
21 Feb. 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
-
New Orleans played without Dejounte Murray (illness), and coach James Borrego adjusted to the starting point guard’s absence by playing Murphy and Herb Jones in the backcourt and giving second-year center Yves Missi his ninth start of the season.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
That’s up from $6,730 in 1990, or 38% of the EU average and now roughly equal to Japan’s $52,039, according to International Monetary Fund figures measured in today’s dollars and adjusted for Poland’s lower cost of living.—
Claudia Ciobanu,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strengthened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strengthened. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
