She stiffened when he grabbed her shoulder.
The dogs stiffened in alarm.
The law would stiffen penalties for tax evasion.
Recent Examples on the WebSport mode stiffens the suspension, lowers the ride height just over .5 inches, and delivers 100 percent of the e-motors’ output, noticeably sharpening the response to the accelerator.—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024 Heart valves and arteries stiffened with age, which forced the heart to work harder and increased the likelihood of high blood pressure and heart attacks.—Eli Saslow Erin Schaff Eli Saslow, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024 Gabriel tried to distract himself with the tactile sensations of farming: wet dirt stiffening his hands and massing under his nails; cold creeping through his jeans and long underwear; humidity swelling through his sinuses.—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024 The Ravens’ defense stiffened as the game wore on — holding the Chiefs to 17 points was more than commendable — but the offense never got in rhythm.—Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024 Tara Moseley Hyde, CEO of People Advocating Recovery, said during the Jan. 18 House Judiciary Committee meeting that stiffening penalties isn’t the way to address a public health crisis.—Hannah Pinski, The Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2024 Routine exercise – especially dynamic exercise like running – maintains a compliant heart and prevents stiffening.—William Cornwell, The Conversation, 21 Feb. 2024 Before his death, the boy was sheltering with other medically vulnerable children in a garage, and his body was stiffening up because of a lack of medical care.—NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 The winter-specific tread is designed to provide secure grip on ice and snow, and the rubber won’t stiffen and freeze in frigid temperatures.—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stiffen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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