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reinforce

verb
re·​in·​force | \ ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯrs How to pronounce reinforce (audio) \
variants: or less commonly

Definition of reinforce

transitive verb

1 : to strengthen by additional assistance, material, or support : make stronger or more pronounced reinforce levees reinforce the elbows of a jacket reinforce ideas
2 : to strengthen or increase by fresh additions reinforce our troops were reinforcing their pitching staff
3 : to stimulate (a subject, such as an experimental animal) by reinforcement (see reinforcement sense 3) also : to encourage (a response) by reinforcement

intransitive verb

: to seek or get reinforcements
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Other Words from reinforce

reinforceable \ ˌrē-​ən-​ˈfȯr-​sə-​bəl How to pronounce reinforceable (audio) \ adjective

Examples of reinforce in a Sentence

The captain sent out another squad to reinforce the troops. Our camp is reinforced with supplies flown in by helicopter. The levees will need to be reinforced. The bad weather forecast only reinforces our decision to leave early tomorrow. Some critics say that the movie reinforces negative stereotypes about the military. We do our best to reinforce good conduct in the classroom.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 In his mind, anything that reinforced Pentagon leaders’ desire to micromanage events halfway across the globe was problematic. — James Bandler, ProPublica, "How Amazon and Silicon Valley Seduced the Pentagon," 22 Aug. 2019 The goal is that users will use their own social capital to reinforce and give credibility to that original message. — Claire Wardle, Scientific American, "Misinformation Has Created a New World Disorder," 20 Aug. 2019 The inside doesn’t look drastically different, although there are plans to reinforce the art deco aesthetic with more historic photos and fixtures. — John Wenzel, The Know, "Broadway Roxy opens in former Syntax space with 1920s vibes, classic cocktails and live music," 15 Aug. 2019 Like other ideological movements, Randism brims with a jargon of authenticity, tailored to reinforce the sense of belonging for young initiates. — Alexander Sammon, The New Republic, "The Last of the Ayn Rand Acolytes," 14 Aug. 2019 An unstable cave on La Jolla’s coast prompted emergency construction Friday to reinforce the cave and the roadway above it, San Diego officials said. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Unstable cliff prompts emergency construction, road closures in La Jolla," 9 Aug. 2019 His forceful questioning of Mueller was said to have reinforced his standing with the president, who had earlier considered him for other cabinet posts, including attorney general. — Olivia Gazis, CBS News, "John Ratcliffe's brief tenure on Intel Committee shows modest engagement with intelligence issues," 1 Aug. 2019 This culture is reinforced every day in stand-ups and retrospectives, birthday celebrations and coaching sessions, tech talks and game nights. — Mark Orttung, Quartz at Work, "Why you should hire fewer geniuses," 30 July 2019 The garden's 1,500 fountains weren't just a marvel of art and engineering, but designed to reinforce the palace's message. — Rick Steves, USA TODAY, "European royalty's most over-the-top summer retreats, from Versailles to Neuschwanstein," 8 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reinforce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of reinforce

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

History and Etymology for reinforce

re- + inforce, alteration of enforce

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More Definitions for reinforce

reinforce

verb
How to pronounce reinforce (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of reinforce

: to strengthen (a group of people) with new supplies or more people
: to strengthen (something, such as clothing or a building) by adding more material for support
: to encourage or give support to (an idea, behavior, feeling, etc.)

See the full definition for reinforce in the English Language Learners Dictionary

reinforce

verb
re·​in·​force | \ ˌrē-ən-ˈfȯrs\
reinforced; reinforcing

Kids Definition of reinforce

1 : to strengthen with new supplies or more people Another squad reinforced the troops.
2 : to strengthen by adding more material for support The wall needs to be reinforced.

reinforce

transitive verb
re·​in·​force | \ ˌrē-ən-ˈfō(ə)rs, -ˈfȯ(ə)rs How to pronounce reinforce (audio) \
reinforced; reinforcing

Medical Definition of reinforce

1 : to strengthen by additional material or support : make stronger reinforced with vitamins
2 : to stimulate (as an experimental animal or a student) by reinforcement also : to encourage (a response) by reinforcement

Other Words from reinforce

reinforceable \ -​ə-​bəl How to pronounce reinforceable (audio) \ adjective

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More from Merriam-Webster on reinforce

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with reinforce

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