firming (up)

verb

Definition of firming (up)next
present participle of firm (up)
as in freezing
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firming (up)
  1. freezing
  2. hardening
  3. stiffening
Verb
  • The plan includes changes to pension rules, freezing public sector wages and limiting health care costs.
    — Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The filing also says that public interest favors freezing the deal until the Supreme Court considers the case.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of freezing
Verb
  • Nearly all Senate Democrats voted to require the State Department to report on Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, in a continuing sign of the party’s hardening stance toward Israel.
    — Noah Robertson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The specifications hardening around agents are careful about this line.
    — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of hardening
Verb
  • Avoiding harsh chemicals like bleach, fabric softeners, and the like will help keep your robe soft and absorbent as these formulas could break down the fabric, leave behind fabric-stiffening residue, or cause pilling and other concerns.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Offering a 35% incentive aimed at stiffening up jobs here and enticing post-production to relocate to the Golden State, AB 2319 is racing toward a vote in the state Senate by next week once the bill is in final shape.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of stiffening
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

firmed (up)
firming (up)
firmly
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Cite this Entry

“Firming (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firming%20%28up%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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