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was steeling

  • past progressive
    of steel.
    steel
    noun
    any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

On Thursday evening, Ms. Rodgers was steeling herself to return to work the next day.

From New York Times ● Aug. 30, 2020

“I was steeling myself up for maybe one person to come back positive,” the fire chief said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2020

Christine Rayburn in Olympia was steeling herself for the months of chemotherapy to come: staying inside her home and even avoiding contact with her adult daughters, to avoid any possible exposure to the coronavirus.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 8, 2020

Tokarczuk herself was outside: crowds make her anxious, and she was steeling herself.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 29, 2019

He was steeling himself to meet a blow.

From Witness for the Defense by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason