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 heart muscle may have thickened slightly, and arteries have likely stiffened, which can raise blood pressure.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
China has been a consistent source of stress for Apple, given the stiffening smartphone competition and its huge manufacturing presence in the country.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
Despite herself, Cali stiffened.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
But most recently it has been hit from several sides, most notably stiffening competition primarily from Amazon, off-pricers and membership clubs as well as Walmart and Target.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiffen
Lauryn Higgins, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
China has been a consistent source of stress for Apple, given the stiffening smartphone competition and its huge manufacturing presence in the country.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
Despite herself, Cali stiffened.
—Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
But most recently it has been hit from several sides, most notably stiffening competition primarily from Amazon, off-pricers and membership clubs as well as Walmart and Target.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stiffen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffen
strengthen
Verb
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Nevertheless, the stadium had by then become synonymous with big football occasions — a status that was only strengthened by three European Cup finals being staged between 1963 and 1971.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Regional lenders have been under pressure after last year's banking turmoil, prompting mergers aimed at strengthening balance sheets and expanding into faster-growing markets.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiffen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffen. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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