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
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Recent Examples of stiffen
The suspension has also been stiffened to reduce roll.
—
James Morris, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Inflation, perhaps stiffened by tariffs, and uncertainty over the future of the labor market have left consumers feeling uneasy.
—Dearbea Walker, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
After a second quarter defensive letdown, the Heat stiffened against a team that leads the league in points per 100 possessions, at 122.4.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
Exercise Too much sitting can cause muscles to stiffen, and moving around more can help ease aches and pains.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiffen
James Morris, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Inflation, perhaps stiffened by tariffs, and uncertainty over the future of the labor market have left consumers feeling uneasy.
—Dearbea Walker, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
After a second quarter defensive letdown, the Heat stiffened against a team that leads the league in points per 100 possessions, at 122.4.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025
Exercise Too much sitting can cause muscles to stiffen, and moving around more can help ease aches and pains.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiffen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffen
Verb
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Lastly, the acquisition strengthens the company’s balance sheet and should allow for significant share repurchases over time.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2025
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And the reports are then published, so the broader firefighting community can strengthen its procedures to avoid similar losses.—
Mark Olalde,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiffen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffen. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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