1
as in bracing
to prepare (oneself) mentally or emotionally
Kelly fortified herself for the basketball tournament with a series of confidence-boosting exercises
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in strengthening
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
he downed another granola bar to fortify himself for the rest of the bike ride
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3
as in hardening
to make able to withstand physical hardship, strain, or exposure
bought lots of warm clothing to fortify ourselves against the cold
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Recent Examples of fortifying
The ensuing film combines soul with CGI, fortifying the lofty reputation Pixar had already built by 2001, just six years into its theatrical run.
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Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Instead of fortifying their position, the Pats watched while a few competitors stocked up around them.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Brandon Bell / Getty Images Since then, people have been fortifying dike systems to contain the water, often building housing and industrial buildings as close to the edge as flood plain planners allow.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 16 Dec. 2025
From fortifying diagnostic accuracy to filling up electronic medical records (EMRs), AI is helping to ease the workload of healthcare professionals worldwide.
—Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2025
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman also noted that the team is interested in fortifying the rotation with Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole slated to miss the start of the year.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Pore space creates essential tunnels for nutrients, water, and oxygen to move in the soil, further fortifying the roots and boosting plant growth.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
The problem with that is that good teams — the winning franchises — build their teams inside-out by fortifying the offensive and defensive lines, which just happen to be the areas of weakness this season.
—Omar Kelly
november 7, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Welle works with residents on fortifying their property through Firewise, a voluntary program.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortifying
Verb
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Wisconsin is bracing for a weekend snow event that could make travel tricky across parts of the state.—
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Packing for winter trips used to mean bracing myself for clothes that simply didn’t fit right.—
Verb
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Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded in 1980 by Candy Lightner and has succeeded in strengthening DUI laws across the nation.—
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His work focuses on expanding access, strengthening global engagement, and creating practical pathways that can help institutions connect with learners across borders.—
Cite this Entry
“Fortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortifying. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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