stiffen

as in to strengthen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe plans to further stiffen the already onerous requirements for admission to the elite military unit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stiffen The schedule stiffens considerably over the back half of the season. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 Lucy’s Law, among other things, stiffens the penalties for seriously injuring someone in a boat crash. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025 Posture And Mobility: Undoing The Sedentary Spiral Extended sitting does more than stiffen your spine. Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 The Padres’ 10-0 start at home is another franchise best, but at least on paper, the schedule will stiffen Monday when the Chicago Cubs — so far the only team to take a series against San Diego — visit Petco Park. Dennis Lin, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stiffen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffen
strengthen
Verb
  • Forecasters have warned that Flossie, which strengthened to become a tropical storm on June 29, could become a hurricane within days.
    Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 1 July 2025
  • To strengthen your position in this AI age, regularly audit your skills, passions, and industry trends.
    Britney Porter, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stiffen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffen. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on stiffen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!