stiffened

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They reckon it may have stiffened the resolve of the German public and discouraged rebels within the dying Nazi regime.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Europe’s spine stiffened in part because 2025 exceeded expectations economically, says Jeremie Peloso, chief European strategist at BCA Research.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

Drive up the A34 road from Alfred the Great’s capital at Winchester to Oxford and you trace the forgotten spine of an older England, with stretches stiffened by Roman roads.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Udom Matsayawanigul, director of the Thailand Film Office, which is part of the Tourism Ministry, said that as competition to lure foreign productions has stiffened, Thailand has had to sweeten its offers to keep up.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

When he had come to visit, she embraced him at the door, but he stiffened and politely shrugged her off.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez