Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To make strong or increase the strength of.
- intransitive verb To become strong or stronger.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To make strong or stronger; add strength to, either physical, legal, or moral; confirm; establish: as, to
strengthen a limb; to strengthen an obligation; to strengthen a claim; to strengthen authority. - Synonyms To invigorate, fortify, brace, nerve, steel, corroborate, support, heighten.
- To grow strong or stronger.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To grow strong or stronger.
- transitive verb To make strong or stronger; to add strength to.
- transitive verb To animate; to encourage; to fix in resolution.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To make
strong or stronger; to addstrength to; to increase the strength of; tofortify ; toreinforce . - verb transitive To
animate ; to givemoral strength to; toencourage ; to fix in resolution; tohearten . - verb transitive To
augment ; toimprove ; tointensify . - verb intransitive To grow strong or stronger.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb gain strength
- verb give a healthy elasticity to
- verb make strong or stronger
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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These changes and conditions are meant to enhance this event and in the long-term strengthen all our businesses, by reinforcing our identity as a destination of choice.
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Mr. Liveris said the new terms strengthen his company's financial position compared with late last year, when the collapse of a joint venture with Kuwait left Dow without $9 billion it had planned to use to help pay for Rohm & Haas.
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Duration and repetition strengthen a karmic pattern.
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Just like my cast will help heal my torn ligaments, so shall the uncorralled and violent expression strengthen the cause.
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New Hampshire primary , his opponents tried to use the phrase to strengthen their depiction of Romney as a corporate predator who sought profits at the expense of workers.
Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis Philip Rucker 2012
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One area that we are trying to strengthen is to transition more YCLers into the Communist Party.
CPUSA Front Page 2010
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"China's interest rate hike is making the dollar strengthen, which is also causing the real to depreciate."
EMERGING MARKETS-Brazil's real sinks on tax rise, China move | Reuters 2010
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"China's interest rate hike is making the dollar strengthen, which is also causing the real to depreciate."
EMERGING MARKETS-Brazil's real sinks on tax rise, China move | Reuters 2010
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Wonder what they are made of, since the narrator said they had to "strengthen" them?
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More often than not, separations do not "strengthen" a marriage; they, unfortunately, just provide opportunities to grow further apart.
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