strengthen
Americanverb
Other Word Forms
- overstrengthen verb
- prestrengthen verb (used with object)
- restrengthen verb
- strengthener noun
- strengtheningly adverb
- unstrengthened adjective
- unstrengthening adjective
Etymology
Origin of strengthen
First recorded in 1250–1300, strengthen is from the Middle English word strengthnen. See strength, -en 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.
“At a time of rampant threats to our democratic system, we must strengthen and defend the integrity of our elections to reaffirm that our government is of, by, and for the people,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
It follows a $2.9 billion two-year investment Microsoft announced in 2024 to bolster the country's push into AI and strengthen its cyber defences.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
This new crisis will again strengthen the resolve of European countries and Canada to bolster their own defences and depend on themselves for their own security.
From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026
If we limit service to the battlefield, we overlook the millions who strengthen this country in other meaningful ways.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
We had long suspected a clamp-down was coming, and the Congress decided that certain members needed to leave the country to strengthen the organization abroad in anticipation of the time it would be banned entirely.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
