steel against

steel (someone or oneself) against (someone or something)

To cause someone or oneself to be mentally and emotionally prepared, obdurate, and unyielding in the face of some difficult or unpleasant person, task, situation, outcome, etc. The future may look grim, but we must steel ourselves against the challenges ahead. Our people have long been steeled against would be tyrants like you! I know I'm tough on you, but I'm trying to steel you against life's many difficulties and disappointments.
See also: steel
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

steel someone against someone or something

to fortify someone against someone or something; to prepare someone to endure someone or something. I tried to steel Liz against Carl, who was bringing her some very bad news. We steeled her against the bad news.
See also: steel
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in classic literature ?
Just as they reached it there came from the interior a confusion of the most appalling sounds--the clash of weapons, steel against steel, sharp explosions as of firearms, shrieks of women, groans and the curses of men in combat!
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'Twas steel against wood, and they made a terrible clattering when they came together.
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Did you not see how futile is your steel against thin air!"
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He shoved, and shoved hard, till the grating of the steel against the locked teeth could be distinctly heard.
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Round went the busily revolving machinery, kept in motion by the scissor-grinder's foot, and wore away the hard steel against the hard stone, whence issued an intense and spiteful prolongation of a hiss as fierce as those emitted by Satan and his compeers in Pandemonium, though squeezed into smaller compass.
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Unwittingly, Nicosia has boxed itself in a corner in the belief that being an EU member, a friend of Washington and partying with multi-national oil companies would serve as a ring of steel against an unpredictable neighbour.
CYPRUS: Erdogan is ready to plunder like the Vikings of yore
It is reflexive fire protection and fire retardant that can separate the surfaces of steel against the thermal attacks.
Intumescent Coatings Market -- Global Forecast to 2025
Even as the ministry is awaiting the written order from the NCLT bench to clear the order on management change in Essar Steel, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), which was scheduled to hear the petition moved by promoters of Essar Steel against NCLT Ahmedabad's ruling, asked the promoters to first clear the whole of Essar Group's debt and then come with a resolution plan for Essar Steel as per the Supreme Court judgement.
MCA awaits nclt order to seal Essar-Mittal deal
The feeling of steel against my skin is something I will never forget What traumatised girl, 15, told court in a statement
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They earned the following praise and fourstar review from Mojo magazine: "Vincent mixes Folk, Rock and Country, employing piano, strings and howling pedal steel against a gravel washed Richard Hawley vocal.
Sage set for Americana extravaganza; ALAN NICHOL takes a look at the region's blues and roots scene
There is also lower adhesion between silicon nitride and steel when compared to steel against steel, which places a much lower demand on lubrication.
Hybrid bearings boost machine lifetime: By withstanding contaminated and poorly lubricated conditions, hybrid bearings are less prone to surface distress than their all-steel counterparts. Phil Burge, marketing and communications manager at SKF explains the structure and materials of hybrid bearings and how these features help extend machine service life
? John Ketland crashes over for Shotton Steel against Wrexham SHOTTON Steel booked their place in the final four of the Intermediate Cup with a convincing 25-5 success at Wrexham in difficult conditions.
Steel too strong for Wrexham to earn progress; RUGBY UNION
His passing was risk-aversive, though, and silk is needed more than steel against reticent relegation fodder like Huddersfield.
Scott proves Jose will give kids a chance
[6] who analysed the wear of hot work tool steel against 22MnB5 steel without coating and observed that the wear rate at 200[degrees]C was lower than that at 40[degrees]C.
Wear and Friction Evaluation of Different Tool Steels for Hot Stamping
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