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Showing results for "hardening"
  • present participle of harden.
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Synonyms

hardening

American  
[hahr-dn-ing] / ˈhɑr dn ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a material that hardens another, as an alloy added to iron to make steel.

  2. the process of becoming hard or rigid.


hardening British  
/ ˈhɑːdənɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act or process of becoming or making hard

  2. a substance added to another substance or material to make it harder

"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

Etymology

Origin of hardening

First recorded in 1620–30; harden + -ing 1


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.

See Examples For:

She is almost painfully careful not to ascribe blame to the growing presence in Germany of Muslim immigrants, among whom there has been a hardening of anti-Zionist public pronouncements since Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“Unless we’re going to stop building in these landscapes, and that’s unlikely ... it means we have to start building and retroactively hardening these communities,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

His remarks came after Washington and Tehran had issued demands for compensation over the five-month war, hardening their positions.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

The Qatari aircraft lacks several features of older Air Force One jets, including the ability to refuel midair and nuclear hardening.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

“It’s not about another woman, Obinze,” Kosi said, rising to her feet, her voice steeling, her eyes hardening.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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