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3. stiffen up

stiffen up

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stiffen something up

to make something rigid or tense. He added a little starch to the rinse water to stiffen his collars up a bit. The cold draft has stiffened up my neck.

See also: up

stiffen up

to become stiff. The bread dough stiffened up as it got cold. My knees began to stiffen up after I sat still for an hour.

See also: up