1
as in to strengthen
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
weight lifting will help toughen those flabby muscles of yours
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to harden
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
hiking every morning through snow and ice toughened him considerably
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3
as in to stiffen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
attempts to toughen conditions under which waivers from military service would be permitted
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Recent Examples of toughen
The Hawks didn’t just force the Knicks to toughen up.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
In the nineties, hip-hop was toughening up the sound of American popular music; Jackson, fey and theatrical, seemed increasingly distant from the cultural mainstream.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Silver chrome and chain-link details toughen up an otherwise serene, jade green set.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Because the muscles in this area are not overly exerted, their tendons don't toughen (which is why a tenderloin is so tender).
—Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
In the nineties, hip-hop was toughening up the sound of American popular music; Jackson, fey and theatrical, seemed increasingly distant from the cultural mainstream.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Silver chrome and chain-link details toughen up an otherwise serene, jade green set.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026
Because the muscles in this area are not overly exerted, their tendons don't toughen (which is why a tenderloin is so tender).
—Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for toughen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toughen
Verb
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Environmental advocates, however, argue the RMP helps protects residents near chemical facilities by requiring preventative safety measures and should be strengthened and expanded, according to the Coalition to Prevent Chemical Disasters.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Still, the web will likely remain heavily censored, experts warned; Tehran is reportedly using Chinese hardware to strengthen its censorship capabilities, further proof that Beijing is exporting the technology that powers its cutting-edge firewall.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Enterprises that spent years hardening endpoints, strengthening identity controls and building sophisticated security operations centers are now layering AI capabilities on top of existing environments without adapting the controls needed to govern them securely.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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Dark lunar maria are visible sprawling across the moon's surface, where lava once rose to the surface before hardening to form enormous basaltic plains.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Spritzing the end of the thread with hairspray will stiffen it just enough to be able to be threaded more easily, but keeps enough flexibility to be used.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
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One was to basically put on the record and call out everything that this FCC has done to try to bring Disney to heel but also to encourage it and other broadcasters to stiffen their spine.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Toughen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toughen. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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