as in to strengthen
to make more harsh, uncompromising, or severe
plans to further stiffen the already onerous requirements for admission to the elite military unit
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Recent Examples of stiffen
But the Ravens defense stiffened at the right time, sacking Wilson with defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike delivering a crunching sack on a third-down play to force a punt as the third quarter came to an end.
—
Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
The schedule stiffens now, starting with Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Saturday.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
In November, Proposition 36 passed, stiffening penalties for theft offenses.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Determined to protect what’s left of the fleet, the Russian navy stiffened the defenses around naval bases in Crimea and southern Russia.
—David Axe, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiffen 
Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 12 Jan. 2025
The schedule stiffens now, starting with Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Saturday.
—Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
In November, Proposition 36 passed, stiffening penalties for theft offenses.
—George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
Determined to protect what’s left of the fleet, the Russian navy stiffened the defenses around naval bases in Crimea and southern Russia.
—David Axe, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stiffen
Thesaurus Entries Near stiffen
Cite this Entry
“Stiffen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stiffen. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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