harden
verb (used with object)
to make hard or harder.
have hardened
-
present perfectof harden.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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 the Dulais Valley, Geraint Evans believe plans for large-scale wind and solar farms in rural areas have hardened people's attitudes to net zero.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
We have hardened our infrastructure and built an oil pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
In the years since, the 1,500 tents that housed them have hardened into more permanent structures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2025
Attitudes toward migration have hardened in Germany as large numbers of asylum-seekers have arrived, in addition to refugees from Ukraine, and local authorities have struggled to find accommodation.
From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2024
He stops chewing and stares at me silently with those eyes that have hardened a little every month he has spent here; now they look like the bark of a palm tree, unyielding.
From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
