verb · formal
strengthen
/ˈstreŋθən/STRENGTH·en
Band 5-6speakingtask2
to make something stronger or more effective
Examples
“New policies aim to strengthen the national healthcare system.”
“Regular practice will strengthen your ability to speak fluently.”
“The treaty strengthened ties between the two countries.”
Band 8 sentence
“Investing in teacher training is essential to strengthen educational standards nationwide.”
Collocations
- strengthen ties/relations
- strengthen a policy/system
Word family
strengthen verbstrengthens verb (3rd sg)strengthening verb / noun (gerund)strengthened verb (past / past participle)
Common mistakes
make stronger the system→strengthen the system
strenghten the ties→strengthen the ties
Say it for a higher band
5make sth stronger→6reinforce→7+strengthen
Synonyms
reinforce
bolster
Easily confused
reinforce
“The evidence served to reinforce the original argument.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -en
Learn it with its set