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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of harden
When temperatures start to warm in spring, begin to harden off the plant by placing it in a shady spot during the daytime.
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
To protect hypervisors, organizations must invest in proper network segmentation, hardening programs and runtime security.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Each step requires extreme precision, then near-godly patience, as the piece returns to the muro to harden after each step.
—Maria Yagoda, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
Let harden for 30 minutes, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for harden 
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
To protect hypervisors, organizations must invest in proper network segmentation, hardening programs and runtime security.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
Each step requires extreme precision, then near-godly patience, as the piece returns to the muro to harden after each step.
—Maria Yagoda, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
Let harden for 30 minutes, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for harden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harden
Verb
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Cold in the South and South-Central Temperatures even dipped below freezing in the southern U.S., ahead of the next winter storm forecast to hit the region later in the week.Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
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Daily highs on Friday will be in the 40s, followed by freezing temperature that evening.Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Their connection strengthened when Washington selected the LSU Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.Ben Standig, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
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Diverse perspectives not only strengthen decision-making but also help organizations anticipate market shifts, meet customer needs, and create groundbreaking solutions.Shelley Zalis, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But the Ravens defense stiffened at the right time, sacking Wilson with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike delivering a crunching sack on a third-down play to force a punt as the third quarter came to an end.Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
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The schedule stiffens now, starting with Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Saturday.Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Harden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harden. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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