strengthen
Americanverb (used with object)
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strengthens,
present (3rd person singular)
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strengthened,
past participle, past
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strengthening
present participle
verb (used without object)
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strengthens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
strengthened,
past participle, past
-
strengthening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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strengthenernoun
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overstrengthenverb
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restrengthenverb
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prestrengthenverb (used with object)
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unstrengthenedadjective
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unstrengtheningadjective
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strengtheninglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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strengthensimple
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strengthenssimple
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have strengthenedperfect
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has strengthenedperfect
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am strengtheningprogressive
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are strengtheningprogressive
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is strengtheningprogressive
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have been strengtheningperfect progressive
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has been strengtheningperfect progressive
Past
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strengthenedsimple
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had strengthenedperfect
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was strengtheningprogressive
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were strengtheningprogressive
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had been strengtheningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of strengthen
First recorded in 1250–1300, strengthen is from the Middle English word strengthnen. See strength, -en 1
Explanation
To strengthen is to make something stronger! Rarr. You can strengthen your muscles by working out, or strengthen your brain by learning new words. Anytime you strengthen something, you're making it more resistant, vigorous, or tough. Taking vitamins can strengthen your immune system so you don't get sick. Lifting weights will strengthen your muscles. A powerful lock will strengthen a door. On computers, a reliable firewall will strengthen your virus protection. If something is weak, it needs to be strengthened. Congrats! You just strengthened your vocabulary by checking out this definition!
Vocabulary lists containing strengthen
President Obama's second inaugural address
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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:
That could reduce dependence on newly mined resources, lower the environmental footprint of materials production, and strengthen domestic supplies of critical minerals and rare earth elements.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Since the Hague Convention, there have been several additional moves to strengthen protective measures for cultural heritage.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Maintaining an openness to people — and a willingness to strengthen connections with everyone from distant or estranged family members to friends, acquaintances and strangers — enables you to benefit from more social interaction.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The Authority will strengthen internal controls around consultant travel, implement more rigorous documentation and approval requirements, and recover any improper costs identified,” the spokesperson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
‘Already the Sun is climbing to noon, and I feel the need of something to strengthen me.’
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Denmark's Prime Minister said the deal "strengthens security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area" but did not address specifics in the agreement that Trump mentioned in a social media post.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys in a post on X thanked allies "whose presence helps protect our skies and strengthens our security".
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
The extension bill, AB 1847, strengthens the deferral language so borrowers have greater certainty about their repayment options when they exit the program, Harabedian’s office noted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
This likely strengthens the case for the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark rate at its meeting this week, says Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Belinda Allen in a note.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
“Goblin-made armor does not require cleaning, simple girl. Goblins’ silver repels mundane dirt, imbibing only that which strengthens it.”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
He said the company would instead invest in journalism that “is differentiated, consequential and difficult to replicate; reporting rooted in our communities and strengthened by sources, investigation, verification, context and judgment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The Russia-North Korea relationship was strengthened last week with the opening of the first road bridge between the two countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The team then explored whether the immune hubs could be deliberately strengthened.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
Private-label competition has strengthened in ‘pretty much all of our categories’ over the past year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
He questioned Strawberry about the great burrow and learned that its ceiling, as well as being vaulted with a tangle of fibers, was strengthened by roots going vertically down into the floor.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
These include rapid diagnosis, isolating infected patients, tracing people who may have been exposed, strengthening infection control, and providing supportive medical care.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
One of those was International IDEA, an intergovernmental organization based in Stockholm and devoted to supporting and strengthening democracy around the world.
From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026
In recent weeks, the Houthis have seized territory, including an island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, strengthening their ability to interfere with Saudi Red Sea oil shipments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"Our Arab and European partners, as well as the United States and our friends, must share with us the responsibility of supporting the army and strengthening the Lebanese state," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
On our other side, Franco’s mech comes charging through the water, bent against the strengthening winds.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
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.
