stiffen

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.

She has also vowed to stiffen prison sentences and to impose a state of emergency in areas worst hit by crime.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

This involves the buildup of dense, fibrous tissue around the tumor, made up of cells and proteins that stiffen and inflame the area.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026

This leads them to weaken and stiffen over time and usually affects how you walk, talk, eat and breathe.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025

Redick looked as if he might stiffen under the postseason spotlight, the rookie coach uncharacteristically a man of few words and no smiles in his pregame news conference.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2025

My mother could see that I really wasn’t in one piece after all, so she listened quietly, stroking my hair as I talked, but gradually I could feel her stiffen.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz