From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfortifyfor‧ti‧fy /ˈfɔːtɪfaɪ $ ˈfɔːr-/ verb (fortified, fortifying, fortifies) [transitive] 1 TBDEFENDto build towers, walls etc around an area or city in order to defend it The town was heavily fortified.2 INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCto encourage an attitude or feeling and make it stronger SYN strengthen Her position was fortified by election successes and economic recovery.3 STRONG PERSON written to make someone feel physically or mentally strongerfortify yourself (with something) We fortified ourselves with a breakfast of bacon and eggs.4 DFto make food or drinks more healthy by adding vitamins to them fortified breakfast cerealsbe fortified with something foods fortified with vitamin BGrammar Fortify is usually passive in this meaning.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
fortify• Dislike of party lists is often fortified by dark suspicions about the quality of the candidates they supposedly include.• The occupying forces generally stay within their heavily fortified garrisons for fear of attack.• Concrete blocks were piled high to fortify the government center.• Henry claimed custody of the child but her kinsmen fortified their castles and refused to hand her over.• Almost immediately this treaty was transgressed by the construction of fortified trading posts on the Platte River and along the Oregon Trail.fortify yourself (with something)• In the task of fortifying oneself with supportive personal relationships, compadrazgo offers extensive manipulative opportunities.• These two areas of dispute sustained and fortified each other throughout the eighteen months of Baldwin's unease.• He ordered a pot of coffee to fortify himself and stepped into his shower.• A bottle of whisky did the rounds while they fortified themselves for the count.• Leading sixty warriors stripped for battle to McNall's cabin, where several families had fortified themselves, Joseph repeated his warning.• No, the best he could do was to fortify himself with the Nielson family, and wait a century or two.Origin fortify (1400-1500) French fortifier, from Latin fortis “strong” 