hardening
Americannoun
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a material that hardens another, as an alloy added to iron to make steel.
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the process of becoming hard or rigid.
noun
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the act or process of becoming or making hard
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a substance added to another substance or material to make it harder
Etymology
Origin of hardening
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.
In another sign of its hardening stance, North Korea deleted all references to uniting the divided peninsula from its constitution, an AFP review of the latest version this week showed.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
In fire-prone areas, Cal Fire and local fire departments already enforce defensible space rules, and building codes require home hardening like covering vents with mesh to prevent embers from entering the house.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
The sky was the color of cotton candy, but the stale kind that’s been hardening in a plastic bag for days after the fair.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
AI data centers, manufacturing, and grid hardening against severe weather are driving investments, with half for transmission system upgrades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
I just stare at my hands, and I imagine that my insides are liquid metal hardening in the air, taking a shape they will never leave again.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
