as in to freeze
to become physically firm or solid
wait for the modeling clay to firm up before handling the finished pot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firm (up)
Verb
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In general, creditors cannot simply freeze your bank account on their own.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026 -
Skies are expected to clear, and winds are expected to calm down overnight Friday, which will allow temperatures to drop to or below freezing early Saturday morning.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Physically frail, yet in full verbal command, Julian doesn’t talk to Lori so much as at her, pausing only to fire off questions that harden, in midair, into assumptions.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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As ideological blocs collapsed, political scientist Samuel Huntington’s influential 1996 book Clash of Civilizations articulated a growing anxiety that globalization would harden into cultural antagonism rather than consensus.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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“Firm (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firm%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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