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
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 There was a sudden spring shower, which stiffened into rain. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026 The journey of King Charles and the Queen consort had been planned for some time, well before relations between the United Kingdom and the United States stiffened due to international tensions, compounded by the assassination attempt on Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffened
  1. stiff
  2. strengthened
  3. rigid
  4. solid
Adjective
  • Birdie tried to understand her grandma’s beige shoes, stiff with a thick sole.
    — Rachel Yoder, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But the phones will face a stiffer challenge than previous Pro smartphones, thanks to the market conditions forcing a price rise, weaker-than-expected upgrades, and consumer reluctance.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of stiff
Verb
  • Open-weight models have strengthened the buyer’s bargaining position.
    — Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Ironically, a round-tripper that undoubtedly added to his trade value also strengthened the position of a team trying to retain Jeffers, moving the club into a tie for the final American League wild-card spot.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of strengthened
Adjective
  • Although denim can be quite rigid for travel or long in-office days, Quince’s options happen to be uniquely stretchy and soft, with premium construction that rivals brands triple the price.
    — Olivia Cigliano, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026
  • These platforms are riddled with undocumented business logic, fragmented workflows and rigid, siloed databases.
    — Sridhar Yerramreddy, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rigid
Adjective
  • Trump can point to a low unemployment rate and solid consumer spending as proof that the economy remains stable, yet there are few signs that these arguments have connected with the public.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • But on Friday, after another solid day from the former South Carolina Gamecock, head coach Dave Canales had a simple response to how Brazzell’s absence might affect Legette.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of solid

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stiffened
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Cite this Entry

“Stiffened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffened. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stiffened

Nglish: Translation of stiffened for Spanish Speakers

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