stiffen

When muscles contract and stiffen up, they can put pressure on nearby nerves.

From 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.

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.

Beardsley saw her stiffen; there was a change across her face, a struggle beneath the eyes.

From where he sat watching—curious to see what Cash would do—Bud saw him flinch and stiffen as a man does under pain.

There is also in large bridges wind-bracing to stiffen the structure against horizontal forces.