Synonyms of hardens

hardens

verb

present tense third-person singular of harden

1

as in freezes

to become physically firm or solid

the glue begins to harden as soon as it is exposed to air

Synonyms & Similar Words

• freezes
• stiffens
• solidifies
• congeals
• firms (up)
• concretes
• thickens
• sets
• crystallizes
• coagulates
• gels
• encrusts
• indurates
• petrifies
• gelatinizes
• calcifies
• cakes
• calluses
• ossifies
• jells
• jellies
• anneals
• clots
• tempers
• rigidifies
• gelates
• case-hardens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• softens
• liquefies
• melts
• dissolves
• thaws
• fuses
• smelts
• unfreezes
• fluxes
• deliquesces

2

as in strengthens

to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure

pioneer women who had been hardened by years of living on the plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strengthens
• toughens
• fortifies
• inures
• adjusts
• steels
• adapts
• seasons
• reinforces
• bolsters
• invigorates
• indurates
• anneals
• enforces
• acclimates
• tempers
• vitalizes
• braces
• immunizes
• acclimatizes
• accustoms
• conditions
• habituates
• boosts
• buttresses
• naturalizes
• supports
• forearms
• breaks in
• props (up)
• trains
• limbers (up)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• softens
• weakens
• exhausts
• saps
• incapacitates
• cripples
• enfeebles
• sensitizes
• emasculates
• enervates
• debilitates
• hamstrings

3

as in toughens

to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force

arm muscles that were hardened by all the years of casting and hauling his fishing nets

Synonyms & Similar Words

• strengthens
• toughens
• fortifies
• beefs (up)
• anneals
• tempers
• energizes
• invigorates
• firms (up)
• vitalizes
• tones (up)
• restrengthens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• weakens
• hurts
• paralyzes
• impairs
• injures
• cripples
• damages
• debilitates
• harms
• enervates
• enfeebles
• undermines
• incapacitates
• breaks down
• undercuts
• wears out
• saps

4

as in stiffens

to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe

the government hardened restrictions on travel to and from the war-torn nation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stiffens
• strengthens
• toughens
• harshens

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eases
• lessens
• softens
• moderates
• ameliorates

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hardens

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

The incident could further inflame tensions between the Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as North Korea hardens its stance toward Seoul while expanding its military nuclear program. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Dependency that hardens into a veto over consequential machine action is not, and the distance between the two is a design decision, made early, usually by people nobody told was making a sovereignty call. — Dr. Aditya Vikram Kashyap, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Poland hardens its border Poland has also boosted its military preparedness. — Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

This buildup, called plaque, narrows and hardens the arteries, causing health problems. — Gavin Escott, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Oil prices are ticking up, as Iran hardens its stance over control of the Strait of Hormuz and other demands to end the war, dashing hopes for a quick deal to reopen the waterway. — Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

The first ingredient of note is hexanal, which strengthens and hardens nails. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026