stiffen

"He'd started to stiffen because he had been there for so long, dead, with no-one noticing. It's horrific to think someone's loved one died with no one near them."

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Depending on the situation, the material can bend, buckle, or stiffen in different ways, all without electronics, sensors, or active control systems.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

These are, Mr. Freymann writes, “tempting targets,” but seizing them could stiffen the resolve of Taiwan and its Western friends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

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

Rowan felt Marlie stiffen and saw her cheek begin to burn red.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

The biggest reason is that our maximum heart rate slows with age, and the heart muscle stiffens, reducing its pumping effectiveness.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

This arrangement stiffens the chain of bones and allows it to transmit very high-pitched sounds more efficiently, a characteristic often seen in animals such as echolocating bats that can detect ultrasound.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

Last year, Alibaba announced a plan to fold food-delivery and online-travel services into its e-commerce unit as competition stiffens in the Chinese market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

"Everyone, by the time you get to your mid-30s, maybe early 40s, you'll notice that the lens of the eye really stiffens," she said.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025

The beater forms billions of microscopic air pockets and stiffens the egg proteins.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Others argued the particles stiffened the surrounding material like glue.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

And sure enough, as UConn’s shots started falling and its defense stiffened against Boozer’s attacks, the deficit narrowed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

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

The barrels -- bound tightly with rope, their fabric skins stiffened and darkened with lacquer -- inevitably recall the Gulf's vast hydrocarbon wealth.

From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026

I stiffened at the word patriotic, still on edge from that message left on my jable.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Softening rather than stiffening when moving through space requires embracing your body’s natural sway and tiny micro-movements, like an ankle wobbling or knee jiggling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring and stiffening of lung tissue.

From Barron's ● Mar. 30, 2026

It’s hard to imagine a greater accomplishment than to achieve peace while stiffening the sinews of deterrence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

Because microtubules can influence how stiff the cytoplasm is, the researchers asked whether asters might help anchor the actin band by stiffening the cell interior.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 28, 2026

“Here, now!” cried Teece, stiffening up, tall, tall.

From "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury