stiffened 1 of 2

adjective

as in stiff
incapable of or highly resistant to bending stiffened corpses an old-fashioned dress with a stiffened lace collar

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stiffened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of stiffen
as in strengthened
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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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 stiffened
Verb
Bile rose in Evie’s throat and her body stiffened under his touch. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 The possible move, unthinkable for legacy studios but in keeping with exits by businesses in other sectors, has only stiffened opposition to the merger in some corners. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 Dogs that have stiffened up with age get an advanced joint-support chew with glucosamine, MSM, and collagen. — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 July 2026 Graham's aorta, at 71, tore, a dissection along a wall stiffened by decades of what the medical examiner called arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. — Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 13 July 2026 Pulisic played a dynamic first half in the Americans' historic 4-1 victory over Paraguay to open their home World Cup nearly two weeks ago, but the AC Milan midfielder came off at halftime after an injury from training stiffened up. — ABC News, 24 June 2026 The moose flinched and stiffened. — Fred Bear, Outdoor Life, 11 June 2026 Reintroduce moisture, apply heat to convert that water to steam, and those stiffened starch molecules soften again. — Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 3 June 2026 His eyes locked to the right, his tiny body stiffened and his face turned red. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffened
  1. stiff
  2. strengthened
  3. rigid
  4. solid
Adjective
  • For drawings in ink the paper sits on a table; for metalpoint it is attached with pushpins to a stiff board, which rests on an easel.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As the disease progresses, people can develop a stiff neck, seizures and coma.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stiff
Verb
  • But also for the bond that strengthened between coach and quarterback.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Daily cheers for health care professionals and essential workers honored the people who sustained the city and strengthened the bonds between residents.
    — Robert W. Snyder, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of strengthened
Adjective
  • The fingers are also built from a combination of rigid and soft materials.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Additionally, rigid systems penalize career reinvention or past departures, and fail to create pathways for skilled former employees to return.
    — Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rigid
Adjective
  • If Wayne, a fictional character, were a more solid creation, the movie could better explore the issue of whether answering racist brutality in kind is more effective than relying on an inadequate system.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Volunteers have been the kingpin of Arlington ISD football the last two seasons, but several squads like Lamar, Arlington Martin and Arlington seem to have made solid offseason progress.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of solid

Browse Nearby Words

stiffen
stiffened
stiffening
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Cite this Entry

“Stiffened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffened. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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