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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Examples of stiffen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Historically, scientists have estimated time of death by observing post-mortem physical and biological changes in the body, such as stiffening, fluid collection and cooling.
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Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024
The legislation has been the focus of intense political debate all year, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders responding to the pressure created by a tough-on-crime ballot measure that would stiffen penalties for retail theft.
—Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
Some thickening agents in popular mascara formulas include beeswax, lanolin (derived from sheep wool), castor oil, and mineral oil, which work as stiffening agents for long-wear holds and voluminous effects.
—Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 30 July 2024
Her natural hair had been dyed with henna and juniper, while the long wig had been treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals to stiffen the braids and blacken the color.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiffen 
Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024
The legislation has been the focus of intense political debate all year, with Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders responding to the pressure created by a tough-on-crime ballot measure that would stiffen penalties for retail theft.
—Anabel Sosa, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
Some thickening agents in popular mascara formulas include beeswax, lanolin (derived from sheep wool), castor oil, and mineral oil, which work as stiffening agents for long-wear holds and voluminous effects.
—Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 30 July 2024
Her natural hair had been dyed with henna and juniper, while the long wig had been treated with quartz, magnetite, and albite crystals to stiffen the braids and blacken the color.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiffen
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stiffen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Stiffen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffen. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
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