1
as in sturdy
able to withstand hardship, strain, or exposure
hardened from years of deprivation and grief, the man regarded the house fire as just another misfortune in a life filled with them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
hardened cynics regarded those TV shows as being anything but reality-based
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in froze
to become physically firm or solid
the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in toughened
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in stiffened
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hardened
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
That means hardened infrastructure, redundant logistics, jointly developed air and missile defenses, more resilient energy systems, and upgrades to pipelines, ports, rail, and trade routes.
—Daniel Benaim, Time, 18 May 2026
Shockwave makes a catheter that emits localized sonic pressure waves to crack hardened plaque in arteries.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Technology challenges Both these systems are aimed at delivering strategic strike capability for neutralizing high-value, time-sensitive targets such as hardened command and control nodes, integrated air defense systems, and critical infrastructure facilities.
—Adityajadhav, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
Joan of Arc armor in the form of hardened corsets, even breastplates, were built into a number of dresses.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Scrape off any hardened grease and wash it with soap and water before your next barbecue session.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
With Hathaway as a hardened journalist who haplessly lands herself into the center of a conflict in El Salvador, the film is somewhat at sea, allowing itself and the audience to get swept away by an unmoored plot.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
They were armed with powerful, hardened beaks and likely had high intelligence.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 May 2026
The mood concerning Carrick hardened in a positive way after United won at Chelsea on April 18, five days after the Leeds defeat.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Beyond the pumps In addition to pump stations, other spillways would be hardened and gates elevated to prevent overtopping.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Ulven plays Maja with palpable vulnerability and honesty, someone hardened into fragile indifference.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 May 2026
We are taken through his childhood’s pivotal disillusionment, which hardened him for life.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Though Ono distanced himself from some earlier positions and praised Florida’s higher education reforms, opposition hardened among influential conservatives and members of the Board of Governors.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
The reddish-brown mud that smothered Bok Kongphan's Hawaii farm has hardened in the tropical sun.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
Franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen has described it as a Bond who has experienced personal tragedy but hasn't yet been hardened by the darker side of spycraft.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Adjective
Cuban leaders are believed to rely on hardened facilities, underground bunkers, tunnels, decoys, secure compounds and frequent movement.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 May 2026
That means hardened infrastructure, redundant logistics, jointly developed air and missile defenses, more resilient energy systems, and upgrades to pipelines, ports, rail, and trade routes.
—Daniel Benaim, Time, 18 May 2026
Shockwave makes a catheter that emits localized sonic pressure waves to crack hardened plaque in arteries.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Technology challenges Both these systems are aimed at delivering strategic strike capability for neutralizing high-value, time-sensitive targets such as hardened command and control nodes, integrated air defense systems, and critical infrastructure facilities.
—Adityajadhav, Interesting Engineering, 14 May 2026
Joan of Arc armor in the form of hardened corsets, even breastplates, were built into a number of dresses.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Scrape off any hardened grease and wash it with soap and water before your next barbecue session.
—Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 May 2026
With Hathaway as a hardened journalist who haplessly lands herself into the center of a conflict in El Salvador, the film is somewhat at sea, allowing itself and the audience to get swept away by an unmoored plot.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 1 May 2026
They were armed with powerful, hardened beaks and likely had high intelligence.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Once the seedlings have been hardened off, dig holes deep enough to plant the seedlings up to the first set of true leaves.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 May 2026
The mood concerning Carrick hardened in a positive way after United won at Chelsea on April 18, five days after the Leeds defeat.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Beyond the pumps In addition to pump stations, other spillways would be hardened and gates elevated to prevent overtopping.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026
Ulven plays Maja with palpable vulnerability and honesty, someone hardened into fragile indifference.
—Tomris Laffly, Variety, 19 May 2026
We are taken through his childhood’s pivotal disillusionment, which hardened him for life.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 May 2026
Though Ono distanced himself from some earlier positions and praised Florida’s higher education reforms, opposition hardened among influential conservatives and members of the Board of Governors.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026
The reddish-brown mud that smothered Bok Kongphan's Hawaii farm has hardened in the tropical sun.
—ABC News, 16 May 2026
Franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen has described it as a Bond who has experienced personal tragedy but hasn't yet been hardened by the darker side of spycraft.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardened
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Tutt and his teams have worked on engineering designs to safely drop anything needing a sturdy parachute — including the Orion capsule that splashed down last month off the coast of San Diego after its 477,710-mile journey to the moon and back.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Grab a melamine sponge and get rid of stubborn bathtub stains in a jiffy.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
-
If the Avs remain stubborn and play a style that suits their stars in the regular season, MacKinnon might win another title, but will be at the end of his career with another team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The flights were first expected to launch in 2023, but the COVID-19 pandemic upturned airline finances and froze aircraft production schedules.—
Marisa Garcia,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
-
Lake Erie froze solid that year, but Dwight said the toxic sludge at the bottom of the river and the sheen of oil across the top would keep the Cuyahoga from freezing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
This would, among other things, give a new direction to the relationship with the United States, creating new opportunities that benefit Colombia…Under our administration, the relationship with the United States would be strengthened and revitalized.—
Armando Regil Velasco,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
-
Twenty-five years later, their creative synergy has only strengthened.—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
His eyes locked to the right, his tiny body stiffened and his face turned red.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
There was a sudden spring shower, which stiffened into rain.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Show hardy Oslovians your Scandi credentials by taking a quick dip in the fjord, then warming up your bones in The Thief’s hammam.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
As the name implies, hardy begonias can handle cold weather.—
Lauren David,
Martha Stewart,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation have been adamant that many of the major road closures and resurfacing projects are unrelated to the World Cup, and therefore are on a multi-year timeline.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Healthcare advocates are equally adamant.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
For dinner off the islet, the local fine dining scene is strong with options like Chef Duc’s Mango Rooms, and Mùa by Truc, which are all worth a visit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
There will also be a strong north to south longshore current.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hardened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardened. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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