strengthen
verb (used with object)
to make stronger; give strength to.
had strengthened
-
past perfectof strengthen.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
They noted that the labor market had strengthened a bit and that the U.S. economy was expanding at a solid pace.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
It blamed human traffickers, and said they had strengthened, not eased, security measures in response to the mass movement of people toward the Ceuta border.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Morocco said it had strengthened, not loosened, its security measures in response to the sudden movement of people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The port had strengthened pilot training and invested in "world-leading navigational technology" as a result, he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
In the spring of 2007, the subprime mortgage bond market, incredibly, had strengthened a bit.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
