stiffen
to make stiff.
to become stiff.
to become suddenly tense, rigid, or taut, as in bracing oneself for or drawing back from shock, fear, or displeasure: He stiffened, expecting to hear the worst.
Origin of stiffen
1Other words from stiffen
- o·ver·stiff·en, verb
- un·stiff·ened, adjective
Words Nearby stiffen
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use stiffen in a sentence
When muscles contract and stiffen up, they can put pressure on nearby nerves.
Best massage chair: Take relaxation to a new level right in your living room | Irena Collaku | August 13, 2021 | Popular-ScienceFrom Charlottesville to Capitol Hill, folks bracing for the worst — workers and residents who lived through violence and bloodshed — stiffened and waited for the metal manifestations of so much American hatred to be removed.
Our skin sags, our hair goes gray, joints stiffen and creak—all signs that our components—that is, proteins and other biomolecules—aren’t what they used to be.
GOP-backed bills in various statehouses aim to ban ballot drop boxes, limit voting periods, restrict absentee voting or stiffen requirements for voter identification.
In December, Congress rewrote aviation safety laws in an effort to stiffen the regulator’s oversight of the company.
Airlines ground some 737 Max jets after Boeing discloses electrical problem | Ian Duncan | April 9, 2021 | Washington Post
The embrace caused Susskind to stiffen up “like an unwilling virgin,” he later said.
She would break down to some degree, and then stiffen back up.
Black Hood took two steps toward her and saw her gun wrist stiffen.
Jessie saw the dark eyes blaze and the stern face of the countess stiffen with fury.
The Weight of the Crown | Fred M. WhiteBeardsley saw her stiffen; there was a change across her face, a struggle beneath the eyes.
We're Friends, Now | Henry HasseFrom where he sat watching—curious to see what Cash would do—Bud saw him flinch and stiffen as a man does under pain.
Cabin Fever | B. M. BowerThere is also in large bridges wind-bracing to stiffen the structure against horizontal forces.
British Dictionary definitions for stiffen
/ (ˈstɪfən) /
to make or become stiff or stiffer
(intr) to become suddenly tense or unyielding
Derived forms of stiffen
- stiffener, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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