toughenverb
uk/ˈtʌf.ən/us/ˈtʌf.ən/toughen verb (MAKE STRONG)
[ T ] to make something or someone tough, strong, or stronger:
The UN announced its intentions to toughen sanctions still further.
The government wants to toughen (up) the existing drug laws/controls.
His time in the army certainly toughened him up.
Car windows are usually made from toughened glass.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Becoming and making stronger
- aggrandize
- boil
- boil up
- bolster
- cement
- concentrate
- concentrated
- dial
- fortify
- fuel
- gel
- harden
- jell
- power (sth) up
- reignite
- strengthen sb's hand idiom
- take hold idiom
- that'll put hairs on your chest! idiom
- tighten
- tighten sth up
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toughen verb (GET DIFFICULT)
[ I ] to become difficult to deal with:
Amid toughening competition in the market, many firms are going out of business.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Complicated and difficult to do
- advanced
- ambitious
- another
- arduous
- as much as you can do idiom
- fiddly
- fiendish
- fierce
- formidable
- get blood out of/from a stone idiom
- murky
- painstaking
- picnic
- problematic
- punishing
- rigorous
- uphill
- vexed
- wearing
- wearying
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