as in strengthens
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
Relevance
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 stiffens
But the schedule stiffens up next week with the start of 4A South Metro League play as Heritage, Ponderosa and Dakota Ridge all loom in October.
—
Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
In a similar way, a man who is defiant stiffens his neck, squares his shoulders, lowers his brows, and clenches his fists with his knuckles forward.
—Big Think, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stiffens
strengthens
Verb
-
By opening international doors for both new and established filmmakers, the award strengthens Netflix’s support for the creative community and boosts the global reach of Brazilian storytelling.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Equity capital strengthens the balance sheet but does not count as revenue, which helps explain why Williams could raise substantial funds in the year yet still report a loss.—
Alex Harrington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stiffens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffens. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share