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harden up

British

verb

(intr) nautical to tighten the sheets of a sailing vessel so as to prevent luffing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There are signs things are starting to harden up here again.

From The Guardian • Mar. 24, 2019

For Woodley, the character of Tris, an innocent teenager forced to harden up both physically and emotionally, joins a growing roster of strong female roles in film.

From Reuters • Mar. 15, 2016

"This is the year where we've got to harden up our plans to give our customers and our suppliers the direction they need."

From Reuters • Apr. 27, 2011

Given further sun and wind to dry it out, the indentations caused by the ball will harden up and erratic bounce can be added to the mix.

From The Guardian • Apr. 21, 2010

His eyes flew open and I saw his face harden up before he disappeared from the glass.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023