as in to strengthen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe recent changes to the drunk driving laws harshen penalties for repeat offenders

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Examples of harshen in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web The mayor's new legislative effort will also seek to harshen penalties for firearms and ghost guns, officials said Monday. Beatrice Peterson, ABC News, 15 May 2023 Seven Memphis police officers were fired in the wake of Nichols' death, which sparked national uproar and harshened the spotlight on police brutality. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 May 2023 With the news of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s historic indictment of Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up other crimes this April, the spotlight on the Justice Department has harshened. Hannah Story Brown, The New Republic, 18 Apr. 2023 Arizona activists have renewed their focus and condemnation on a bill that would harshen penalties for various crimes committed during an unlawful assembly following the three guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2021 Unfortunately, the film only takes a cursory, superficial glance at this societal malady, as if a deeper dive would harshen the mellow of its romantic comedy. Odie Henderson, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022 As time goes on, more voters could harshen their view of Biden, as all of these problems are under his tent now. Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 24 Feb. 2021 The impetus for the line came not just from the rise of the ingredient-conscious consumer, but also in response to the ever-harshening realities of modern life. Rebecca Dancer, Allure, 13 Dec. 2019 Protests by tens of thousands before the election and on the eve of his inauguration lead to legislation harshening penalties for unauthorized political protests. Fox News, 18 Mar. 2018

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Cite this Entry

“Harshen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshen. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

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