as in stiff
incapable of or highly resistant to bending
stiffened corpses an old-fashioned dress with a stiffened lace collar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stiffened
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
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Officials this year have increased restrictions on flying drones and stiffened the penalties for their unauthorized use—including jail time.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The nail seemed to have expanded and warped and stiffened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The prime minister’s demeanor stiffened.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Charles Albert’s attitude toward Austria had stiffened in the years before 1846, and an unavowed toleration was given to the Turin moderates who emphasized the anti-Austrian rather than the constitutional aspects of the Italian problem.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
June stiffened, a pillar of ice.
—Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Officials this year have increased restrictions on flying drones and stiffened the penalties for their unauthorized use—including jail time.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
The nail seemed to have expanded and warped and stiffened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
The prime minister’s demeanor stiffened.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Charles Albert’s attitude toward Austria had stiffened in the years before 1846, and an unavowed toleration was given to the Turin moderates who emphasized the anti-Austrian rather than the constitutional aspects of the Italian problem.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffened
Adjective
-
Too much straw made the mattress stiff; too little, and the mattress was uneven.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
View from within Warsh, then, can be expected to meet stiff challenges when the meeting convenes, albeit from a group known for its collegiality.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
The ruling strengthened the regional government’s position in a dispute that has fueled weeks of protests ahead of next month’s assembly elections.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
-
The network has been expanded, strengthened, and stress-tested so police, fire, EMS, and federal agencies can communicate if an emergency occurs.—
Edward F. Davis,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Glass may look rigid, but materials can behave differently under different conditions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
-
The hormonal shifts behind it are real and documented, but the rigid protocols popular online are largely ahead of the evidence.—
Allison Palmer
June 8,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Morris earned his chance in the rotation through solid Triple-A numbers and due to three starters being out of the picture for now.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Pitch shows that some substances can appear solid in daily life while still flowing over long periods.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stiffened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffened. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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