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.
It marks a wider trend of governments hardening their stance on undocumented migration, with many, including the UK and Italy, adopting measures aimed at deterring it.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
UV light is used for air purification, curing resins in 3D printing, hardening gels in dental fillings, and even applications such as nail treatments.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Even as its resolve appears to be hardening, the EU has showed no appetite to trigger a broader trade war with China.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, said that while the country hopes to avert conflict, it is hardening its defenses.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
At twenty years of age the mold of my life was set, was hardening into a pattern, a pattern that was neither good nor evil, neither right nor wrong.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
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.
