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.

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

“It probably would stiffen their spine,” said Brian Latell, a former CIA analyst who wrote a biography of Castro and his older brother Fidel Castro.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 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

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

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2025

I felt Twig stiffen for a few moments, trying to figure out what to say, and I worried I’d said too much truth—that I’d scared her away.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller