1
as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
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2
as in to strengthen
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains
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3
as in to toughen
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
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4
as in to stiffen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harden
Remember to harden off the seedlings for a week or two before transplanting to avoid transplant shock.
10.
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Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Trump is adding to the pressure with mass deportations—then hoping to contain whatever erupts by simply hardening the southern border.
—Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025
What Causes Gallstones? Gallstones form when substances like cholesterol and bile salts harden into solid particles inside the gallbladder.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
At the Oakland news conference Wednesday, local politicians and nonprofit leaders gathered to denounce the Trump Administration’s threats of mass deportations and make plans to harden state laws.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harden 
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Trump is adding to the pressure with mass deportations—then hoping to contain whatever erupts by simply hardening the southern border.
—Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025
What Causes Gallstones? Gallstones form when substances like cholesterol and bile salts harden into solid particles inside the gallbladder.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
At the Oakland news conference Wednesday, local politicians and nonprofit leaders gathered to denounce the Trump Administration’s threats of mass deportations and make plans to harden state laws.
—Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harden
Verb
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When Trump issued a destructive memo freezing all federal loans and grants, the rejection was instantaneous and widespread as constituents nationwide reacted.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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Jillian Blanchard, vice president of climate change and environmental justice at Lawyers for Good Government, said that by freezing the grants, the Trump administration had broken a binding contract.—
Jake Pearson,
ProPublica,
10 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Garden plants like tomatoes and citrus trees benefit from additional calcium to strengthen their blossoms and fruit.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2025
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Internally, such programs foster a supportive and inclusive workplace environment where employees feel their physical and mental health are genuinely cared for, which in turn boosts company morale and strengthens team dynamics.—
Rebecca L. Palmer,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The affected areas turn white and then blue and may stiffen as they’re deprived of oxygen, Amanda Sammut, MD, the chief of rheumatology at Harlem Hospital and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University, who has Raynaud’s herself, tells SELF.—
Cindy Kuzma,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2025
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Crime The biggest crime fight on the ballot is over Proposition 36, a measure that would stiffen penalties for some thefts and drug crimes and change parts of a controversial 2014 ballot measure that reduced several felonies to misdemeanors.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near harden
Cite this Entry
“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harden. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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