firms (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of firm (up)
as in freezes
to become physically firm or solid wait for the modeling clay to firm up before handling the finished pot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firms (up)
  1. freezes
  2. hardens
  3. stiffens
Verb
  • Reduce Watering Ohler suggests giving a deep watering before the ground freezes.
    — Jane Kim, The Spruce, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The salt coolant used in these systems freezes at roughly 932 degrees Fahrenheit (500 degrees Celsius).
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of freezes
Verb
  • The gossip hardens into something more official, as fellow teachers and school authorities start to treat her personal life as a disciplinary matter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Europe hardens on migration as nationalist support grows European countries sought to harden migration rules in a bid to quell support for nationalist parties across the continent.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hardens
Verb
  • Davidsen bucks up her balky husband with a bloodthirsty holler, stiffens her voice against doubt, and, in her final sleepwalking scene, taps into the tender stratum of Lady Macbeth’s subconscious.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
  • This remains soft during low-energy movement but stiffens upon high-impact force.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
Definition of stiffens
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

firms
firms (up)
firm (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firms (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firms%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All