as in to harden
to make stronger (as through hardship)
She was annealed by the tragedies of her childhood.
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Recent Examples of anneal
Workable quantum solutions that make use of annealing systems are now in use.
—
Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
These services provide access to advanced quantum computing technologies, including annealing quantum computers with over 5,000 qubits and quantum-classical hybrid solvers capable of tackling complex problems involving up to one million variables.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
In this instance, after annealing, nanoplastic molecules are physically bound together with the molecules of tetracycline.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2024
Kaveh was certainly born a good person, but his overwhelming personal grace and the power of his art were annealed into their pure form by the white-hot fire of his addiction.
—Lauren Groff, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Bound wafers and chips are then heated slowly (a process called annealing) to form stronger chemical bonds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
And researchers from Applied Materials presented progress on a method to radically reduce the time needed for annealing—from hours to just 5 minutes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
For applications requiring a more pure silica glass, the residual organics can be removed by annealing the structures at 900° Celsius (1,652° F)—an extra step, granted, but at a much lower temperature than the usual extra sintering step.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 July 2023
Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
These services provide access to advanced quantum computing technologies, including annealing quantum computers with over 5,000 qubits and quantum-classical hybrid solvers capable of tackling complex problems involving up to one million variables.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Quantum annealing: This term is borrowed from annealing, a process that uses heat to alter the physical or chemical properties of a metal, glass, or plastic film to increase ductility and reduce hardness.
—Ars Technica, 30 Oct. 2024
In this instance, after annealing, nanoplastic molecules are physically bound together with the molecules of tetracycline.
—Joe Salas, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2024
Kaveh was certainly born a good person, but his overwhelming personal grace and the power of his art were annealed into their pure form by the white-hot fire of his addiction.
—Lauren Groff, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Bound wafers and chips are then heated slowly (a process called annealing) to form stronger chemical bonds.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
And researchers from Applied Materials presented progress on a method to radically reduce the time needed for annealing—from hours to just 5 minutes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2024
For applications requiring a more pure silica glass, the residual organics can be removed by annealing the structures at 900° Celsius (1,652° F)—an extra step, granted, but at a much lower temperature than the usual extra sintering step.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anneal
Verb
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Teen Shauna is hardened by the brutal losses of winter, and adult Taissa responds differently to reminders of the wilderness with Van by her side.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
14 Feb. 2025
-
My eyes were hardening around the edges, just like my heart.—
Rachel DeSantis,
People.com,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Adopting inclusive and diverse solutions in AI fosters innovation and helps organizations strengthen their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.—
Pradeep Kumar Muthukamatchi,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The powder's keratin fibers attach to your hair to help build and strengthen strands, lending a look of fullness and volume, especially when used over time.—
Deanna Pai,
Allure,
21 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Teams can fortify position groups in multiple ways, but the Vikings are going to have to lean heavily on their salary cap space this offseason.—
Alec Lewis,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Angel City, which is based in Los Angeles, is seeking to fortify its revenue streams, with sponsorships an important component of its long-term financial health.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Yoshi’s bummed about being denied a puppy by her parents, tempers her anger and fills the void with a scavenger hunt in her backyard that turns up a lizard (Laggie) and a cricket (Grillo).—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
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Despite being known as Ryu ga Gotoku 8 Gaiden in Japanese, a name denoting the game as a solemn epilogue, similar to the ones fans experienced with Kiryu in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (2023), Pirate Yakuza wastes no time tempering expectations.—
Isaiah Colbert,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Her plan, Jud said, was probably only reinforced after his mom endured the death of Regenhardt on April 25, 2023.—
Tim Botos,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Offering health-conscious customers discounts or cash-back rewards for buying healthy items reinforces positive behavior while strengthening customer loyalty.—
Jon Jacobson,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anneal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anneal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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