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cement together

B2 neutral separable transitive

To join things (or people) together in a lasting and solid way, either literally with cement or figuratively.

In plain English

To stick things together very firmly so they stay together permanently, or to make a relationship or group very strong.

What does "cement together" mean?

2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.

1 B1 neutral

To join objects physically using cement or a similar adhesive.

"The bricklayer cemented the stones together carefully to ensure the wall was solid."

separable
2 B2 idiomatic neutral

To strengthen and make permanent a relationship, group, or alliance.

"The shared crisis cemented the two communities together in a way that years of goodwill had not managed."

separable

Literal vs figurative

Words literally mean

To use cement (building material) to bond objects together physically.

Actually means

To stick things together very firmly so they stay together permanently, or to make a relationship or group very strong.

Usage tip

Both literal (construction) and figurative (relationships, alliances, societies) uses are common. The figurative use is very frequent in journalism and politics. The metaphor comes from cement's property of permanently bonding materials.

Words that pair with "cement together"

Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.

relationship alliance bond partnership bricks unity

How to conjugate "cement together"

The five tense forms you'll use most often.

Base
cement together
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cements together
he/she/it
Past simple
cemented together
yesterday
Past participle
cemented together
have + pp
-ing form
cementing together
continuous

Hear "cement together" in the wild

Listen to native speakers using "cement together" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.

Other ways to say "cement together"

Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.

bind together bond together consolidate fuse seal together unite

Keep exploring

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