stiff
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.
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Fibrosis is the buildup of stiff, scar like tissue that can interfere with normal movement and function.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
The mattress was as stiff as cardboard and he was worried about his mom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Artificial-intelligence infrastructure providers like CoreWeave and Nebius Group may soon face stiff competition from a new kid on the block: Meta Platforms.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
His cost-cutting program has however run into stiff opposition from trade unions, farmers and Indigenous organizations loyal to Indigenous ex-president Evo Morales.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Why was he being so stiff with me?
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Collagen normally gives tissue structure and strength, but excessive collagen can make a valve thicker and stiffer, changing its shape and movement.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Those so-called second-round effects can entrench inflation and require stiffer rate increases to reduce inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
The DWI asked for the case to be sent to Crown court for sentencing as it was "high-profile or exceptionally sensitive", and a Crown court could hand down stiffer penalties.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
They discovered that the cytoplasm becomes stiffer during interphase, creating a supportive scaffold that stabilizes the actin band.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026
“Can you summon a stiffer breeze, Dr. Grumman?” said Lee.
From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman
She had offers from England, Mexico and the United States, with sources close to the player stating Boston Legacy provided the stiffest competition.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
His penalty of life imprisonment without parole was the stiffest in New Zealand history.
From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026
The car was so fast for so much of the season that the stiffest competition its drivers faced was from each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 1, 2025
As in other categories, the stiffest competition comes from ‘Severance’: Adam Scott, so compelling as the emotionally conflicted Mark S.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2025
Her body curled too; as the weeks turned to months, she shrank into herself like the stiffest of fetuses, shrivelling, her skin sallow and waxy.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
"He has the one lawyer who he had to pay in advance because he stiffs everybody," she said on Monday's edition of "The Five," referring to Trump's $3 million payment to defense attorney Chris Kise.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2023
Ditto the overall vibe of rumpled, boozy Los Angeles noir, pitting the wealthy and sinister against the beaten-down but mostly noble working stiffs who make up Perry and his peers.
From New York Times ● Mar. 6, 2023
Let’s say they’re stiffs and they’re stupid people, and they say, ‘Well, we really have no choice.’
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
Iceland has achieved the holy grail for working stiffs: same pay for shorter hours.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2021
"Just between ourselves, Blore, and taking into account that we'll probably both be a couple of stiffs before another day is out, you did indulge in that spot of perjury, I suppose?"
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
The military and House staffers get stiffed next week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025
Through a series of high-profile protests and rallies, deliverers informed customers that they were getting stiffed on pay, and they did not have durable insurance to cover accidents, robberies, injuries, and physical attacks.
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2025
DuBon had been stiffed on a painting job a few weeks earlier — an employer simply refused to pay — and started going to Casa Latina instead of Home Depot.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
Trump's closest ally and former personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was among the slate of stiffed lawyers.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2023
The birds stiffed in the rafters, and finally even Grenn began to chuckle.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
But for every Ben and Jerry, there are countless Janes and Joes ticked off at their college roommate for stiffing them on a business loan.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2022
This Russian-German con artist, born Anna Sorokin, constructed such a convincing illusion out of snobbery and good taste that she succeeded in stiffing luxury hotels and bilking financial institutions for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2022
They offer the chance to leave more, but not less, preventing customers from stiffing a server over a perceived slight.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 5, 2021
Cohen was his consigliere, the tough street lawyer whose job, he says, was stiffing Trump’s business partners and burying his scandals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2020
“If you’re not getting commissions, Becker’s stiffing you.”
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Vocabulary lists containing stiff
Engineering - Introductory
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Civil Engineering
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Engineering - Middle School
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