stiffen

The defective hemoglobin sticks to itself, causing normally flexible cells to stiffen into sickle shapes—a process sometimes called sickling—that block blood flow, damage organs and trigger excruciating pain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

This approach enabled us to create a material that can bend, buckle, or stiffen differently under slow movements versus sudden impacts -- without electronics, sensors, or active control.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

As these weaken and stiffen over time it can affect walking, talking, eating and breathing.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 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

Metcalf, bringing all her blue-collar brilliance to the role, stiffens Linda’s spine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026

More than 13% of Americans 75 and older have the condition, in which the aortic valve stiffens and narrows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 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

My body stiffens as I click through every possible message location again.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

When the heart must work harder because of exercise, heat, stress or another cause, stiffened blood vessels may be less able to accommodate the increased blood flow.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

“But the cat stiffened and I stiffened whenever anybody moved, aware of all the possible lives being lived around us.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 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

At the close I always put the pen in her stiffened fingers so she could sign it.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

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

The inquest was told rigor mortis - the stiffening of the body after death - had set in.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 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

"Our observations are consistent across multiple length scales and link connective tissue stiffening to altered biochemical signaling in cancer cells."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2026

Around them the sea was stiffening as it froze, and the men could hear the snow crackle as it fell onto the waves.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong