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.

Fresh water was extremely scarce, so none of the group could wash their clothes a single time during their six-month stay—the cotton trousers they wore had hardened into leg armor by the time they left.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

By about 6pm, tension had hardened both inside the factory and on the street.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

Long before final ballots were turned in, the Oscar-night dominance of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” once dismissed as too zany for stuffy academy sensibilities, had hardened into destiny.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2023

Tatiana, who is still in Mariupol, said the death and destruction visited on the city had hardened people's hearts.

From Reuters • Feb. 22, 2023

The ground was rutted from past rains, but had hardened in the late summer drought, so they had to give up on sneaker toes and draw the line with a stick.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson