Synonyms for brace

Most common

steel · arouse · energize · prop · tighten · strut · poise · buttress

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

Noun

Definitions

1. v. 1

   To prepare for something bad, such as an impact or blow.

   All hands, brace for impact!

2. v. 2

   To place in a position for resisting pressure; to hold firmly.

   He braced himself against the crowd.

3. n. 1

   A pair, a couple; originally used of dogs, and later of animals generally (e.g., a brace of conies) and then other things, but rarely human persons. (In British use (as plural), this is a particularly common reference to game birds.)

4. n. 2

   A curved instrument or handle of iron or wood, for holding and turning bits, etc.; a bitstock.

Related words

Phrases

curly brace large curly brace brace up

Forms

Plural

braces → pairs, couples, duos, twosomes…

Past participle

braced
e.g. braced → strengthened, steeled, nerved, fortified…

Example sentences

• steel Building the steel factory was a great enterprise.
• arouse Events of that type generally arouse suspicion.
• energize We need a campaign slogan that'll really energize the base.
• prop He fetched a few cushions to prop up her head.
• tighten Yanni doesn't have to tighten the screws too much.
• strut That strut is weak and needs reinforcing.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters

two¹, duo²

4 letters

stay¹, rest¹, pair¹, span¹, prop¹, duet², yoke¹, dyad², duad

5 letters

steel¹, shore¹, nerve¹, brass¹, twain¹, strut¹, poise¹

6 letters

couple², steady², harden², fathom², arouse², estado

7 letters

support², sustain², refresh², tighten², animate³, gallows², fortify³, quicken², couplet, doublet, twosome², gudgeon², distich

8 letters

energize³, buttress², energise, vinculum, bitstock

9 letters

supporter³, stimulate³, stabilize³, stabilise, suspender³

10 letters

strengthen², invigorate⁴, exhilarate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (duo² = 2 syllables).