reinforcing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "reinforcing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the act of strengthening or supporting an idea, belief, or behavior. Example: "The teacher focused on reinforcing the key concepts to ensure that all students understood the material."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

"It could have been a great way to show that we are a different kind of party and instead we had an ailing leader reinforcing the idea that it's all about one person".

The Guardian

Roger Helmer, the Ukip byelection candidate who was re-elected as an MEP, said: "Britain is sending a hugely powerful message to the political classes tonight and I think Newark will relish the opportunity of reinforcing that message on Thursday week".

The Guardian

Over the coming year we will be developing a range of placement options, reinforcing fostering as a major part of BAAF and further incorporating the voices of children and young people into our work.

The Guardian

Frans Timmermans, the Dutch foreign minister and a social democrat (unlike Juncker, a Christian democrat), has been made the commission No 2, reinforcing Juncker's apparent aim of running a grand coalition of Christian and social democrats, with liberals also well-represented.

The Guardian

Mr Cameron skated over such details, as he so often does, reinforcing the impression that he is much better at saying than doing.

The Guardian - Opinion

Discoveries will grow into marketable designs only if nurtured by an ecology, which includes not only universities but very often state subsidies too, and supply chains with mutually reinforcing links.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

This credibility is self-reinforcing.

The Economist

That's self-reinforcing: information on the prevalence of stress is collected through surveys.

The Economist

With no strong borrowers to lend to, the banks find it even harder to earn profits with which to write off their bad loans.To some extent, therefore, Japan's economy is trapped, as the symptoms of its long slide have become self-reinforcing.

The Economist

As Mr Rogers explains: "There's a saying in Washington: if you're not at the table, you're on the menu .The process has become self-reinforcing.

The Economist

Once a market has captured most of the trading volume in equities, it can reap economies of scale that enable it to see off even a potentially low-cost rival, and its grip on liquidity then becomes self-reinforcing.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Choose "reinforcing" when you want to highlight the act of strengthening a pre-existing idea or structure.

Common error

Avoid using "reinforcing" without clearly specifying what is being reinforced. Vague references can confuse the reader and weaken your message. Instead of saying "This is reinforcing", specify what "this" refers to: "This evidence is reinforcing the hypothesis."

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "reinforcing" is as a verb, specifically the present participle of the verb "reinforce". It can also function as an adjective describing something that reinforces. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable nature in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "reinforcing" functions primarily as a verb and adjective, used to convey the action of strengthening or supporting something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used, particularly in news and media, formal business contexts, and science. When using "reinforcing", clarity is key. Ensure that you clearly specify what you are reinforcing to avoid vagueness. While there are many similar words like strengthening and supporting, “reinforcing” is most suitable when it shows the act of giving additional strength to an existing concept.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

strengthening

Focuses on making something stronger, more robust, or more effective.

underlining

Highlights or emphasizes something to make it more noticeable or important.

emphasizing

Places particular stress or importance on something.

supporting

Provides assistance or backing to maintain or uphold something.

cementing

Solidifies or firmly establishes something.

validating

Confirms or supports the accuracy or truth of something.

confirming

Verifies or establishes the truth or accuracy of something.

bolstering

Strengthens or supports something, often with the implication of adding to it.

enhancing

Improves the quality, value, or extent of something.

consolidating

Combines or unifies something to make it stronger or more effective.

FAQs

How is "reinforcing" typically used in a sentence?

Typically, "reinforcing" is used to describe the action of strengthening or supporting something, such as an idea, belief, or structure. For example, "The data is "reinforcing the theory"".

What are some alternatives to the word "reinforcing"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "strengthening", "emphasizing", or "supporting" instead of "reinforcing".

Is there a difference between "reinforcing" and "strengthening"?

While "reinforcing" and "strengthening" are similar, "reinforcing" often implies adding additional support to something already existing, whereas "strengthening" can refer to making something stronger from the beginning.

When should I use "reinforcing" over other similar words?

Use "reinforcing" when you want to emphasize the act of providing additional support or validation to something that is already in place. If you want to show the action of giving additional strength it might be the perfect word. Alternatives could be "underlining" or emphasizing but they are not synonyms.