1
as in inspired
to fill with courage or strength of purpose
hoped that his inspirational talk would steel the youths in the pursuit of their dreams
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthened
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
years of running a farm had steeled the hard-bitten woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in braced
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
he had spent the previous night steeling himself for the moment when he would demand a raise
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in armed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of steeled
David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Handling adversity These setbacks steeled James Lovell to be an astronaut who could handle the pressures in times of adversity.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Eventually, to the relief of the many passengers with less-than-perfectly-steeled stomachs, the ferry pulled into the port of Helgoland.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Kyiv is also on a full war footing, with its government and population steeled against the damage and human losses that come with a major conflict.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Handling adversity These setbacks steeled James Lovell to be an astronaut who could handle the pressures in times of adversity.
—John Baldoni, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
Eventually, to the relief of the many passengers with less-than-perfectly-steeled stomachs, the ferry pulled into the port of Helgoland.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steeled
Verb
-
The furniture, objects, and art left me feeling culturally satisfied and inspired to finally finish furnishing my apartment.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Gaudí’s structure is a head-spinning mixture of morphing geometrical forms, many inspired by nature.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The past month has renewed conversations about home rule, which many Democrats believe should be strengthened.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These examples show that more protections need to be established and strengthened, advocates say.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Lecornu now faces the dual challenge of steering France out of its financial morass while leading a government braced for mass protests.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The news organization vigorously defended the story at the time and braced to fight the legal action.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
He has been convicted of plotting a coup and taking part in an armed criminal organization, among other serious crimes.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Jurors at the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, heard from the Secret Service agent who confronted an armed Routh on the golf course before Routh fled, and a witness who identified Routh to police.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In his acceptance speech, Cooper revealed only started drama classes a couple of years ago and encouraged those watching to step out of their comfort zones.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
-
In recent years, as American moms have been enthusiastically encouraged to breastfeed, many experts have emphasized that making sure infants are fed, period, should be parents’ highest priority.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Alternatively, Venus’ initial, planetwide magma sea might have cooled and hardened into a crust quickly enough for liquid water — maybe even an ocean’s worth of water — to flow across it.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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And those things hardened their proverbial steak, too.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And a belief long voiced by many in the region of Israel’s intention to sabotage peace talks has only been fortified by Tuesday’s strikes.—
Paula Hancocks,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Kremlin has succeeded in building a fortress economy, but one that is fortified against the future more than against the enemy.—
Jeremy Shapiro,
The Atlantic,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Steeled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steeled. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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