Words similar to brace

Example sentences for: brace

How can you use “brace” in a sentence? Here are some example sentences to help you improve your vocabulary:

From the moment it became clear that John F. Kennedy Jr. and his two passengers had been lost at sea, Keeping Tabs--who was passingly acquainted with Kennedy--began to brace herself for the inevitable tabloid onslaught.
As James, Helen, and eventually Catherine are drawn into Vaughan's world, they discover that he leads a cult of sorts, which includes Gabrielle (Rosanna Arquette), who gravitated toward Vaughan after an accident that left her encased in a complicated leather-and-steel body brace.
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977.
OK, I was a puddle after some scenes, like the one where Guaspari pushes a student to get her to improve her posture and discovers that the girl is wearing a leg brace.
Finally, why do we always and only "brace" for hurricanes?