She stiffened when he grabbed her shoulder.
The dogs stiffened in alarm.
The law would stiffen penalties for tax evasion.
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Volkswagen’s premium Audi brand has lost much of its luster in recent years, dragged down by trade tariffs, stiffening competition and a patchy electric-vehicle roster.—William Wilkes, Bloomberg, 8 June 2026 Chronic inflammation damages blood vessels, stiffening them and increasing resistance.—Jennifer Berger, Verywell Health, 1 June 2026 Spritzing the end of the thread with hairspray will stiffen it just enough to be able to be threaded more easily, but keeps enough flexibility to be used.—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 May 2026 One was to basically put on the record and call out everything that this FCC has done to try to bring Disney to heel but also to encourage it and other broadcasters to stiffen their spine.—ABC News, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for stiffen