How to Use stiff upper lip in a Sentence

stiff upper lip

noun
  • British stiff upper lip and all that, but come on, the kid is four.
    Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 8 June 2022
  • Her stiff upper lip, and the monarchy, seemed frozen in a distant time.
    Maria Puente and Jeff Stinson, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2022
  • Trump displays a stiff upper lip in the face of the pandemic.
    Barry Blitt, The New Yorker, 2 July 2020
  • Keep a stiff upper lip like any good Brit and go out and do your best for queen and country.
    Dave Hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, 29 Sep. 2017
  • At the time, the royals were not known for anything other than a stiff upper lip.
    Rachel Burchfield, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024
  • Colman keeps a stiff upper lip, even as the role begins to shift out from under her.
    Washington Post, 12 Nov. 2020
  • There’s a message in there, something about keeping a stiff upper lip.
    al, 6 Apr. 2020
  • The Sox need to display a stiff upper lip and bounce back Sunday.
    Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 29 June 2019
  • Physicians are taught to sacrifice, overlook pain and keep a stiff upper lip.
    Robert Pearl, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2021
  • Even our most esteemed leaders couldn’t hide behind the proverbial stiff upper lip.
    Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 8 June 2022
  • Yet the show is not all starched collars and stiff upper lips—much of the art gleefully sends up staid stereotypes.
    The Economist, 25 Feb. 2020
  • In modern times, the stiff upper lip has become anachronistic.
    Barbara A. Perry, Time, 9 Oct. 2017
  • King Charles ditched the stiff upper lip at this year’s Royal Ascot.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 June 2023
  • One hastens to quip, keep a stiff upper lip, There’ll soon be Thanksgiving in town.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2020
  • Alice and her stiff upper lip are ready to accept this lot until the pack horse program comes recruiting.
    Karin Tanabe, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2019
  • Colin Firth is a badass now Fans shouldn’t expect Firth to loosen his stiff upper lip just yet.
    Phil Boucher, PEOPLE.com, 23 Sep. 2017
  • You’re glued by her range of expressive reactions, trapped in the limbo between tears and a stiff upper lip.
    Al Alexander, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2020
  • The nation’s stiff upper lip has softened, and the king will want to reflect that to a degree, analysts say.
    Max Colchester, WSJ, 12 Sep. 2022
  • But unlike their regal mistress, the Queen’s corgis did not always keep a stiff upper lip.
    Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 18 Apr. 2018
  • So self-driving believers will keep a stiff upper lip and persevere through the inclement weather.
    Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Growing up during the depression years and the war left emotional scars, but gave her a stiff upper lip to deal with life's many challenges.
    courant.com, 10 July 2018
  • The stiff upper lip, no matter how painful the attacks, was expected to remain impossibly rigid at all times.
    Omid Scobie, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Mar. 2021
  • Prince Harry comes from a long line of military men who took pride in adopting a stiff upper lip attitude and getting on with the job.
    Louis Staples, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023
  • Henry told of how in his time as a footballer, players were expected to keep a stiff upper lip and their problems to themselves in fear of later reprisals.
    Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2022
  • But, unlike your great aunt’s disastrous anniversary party, this one will be held in full view of the world, so stiff upper lips are mandatory.
    Carole Sovocool, Robb Report, 21 Apr. 2023
  • Daryl’s breakdowns are rare; In a show full of displays of mankind’s chaotic nature, Daryl tends to maintain a stiff upper lip.
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2023
  • The film gently suggests the all-encompassing power of love with characters who maintain a stiff upper lip.
    New York Times, 13 Feb. 2020
  • The Blue Jays maintained a stiff upper lip throughout, but Lebron could sense something missing.
    Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2021
  • But the famous British stiff upper lip came in handy and people across the nation kept calm and carried on -- aside from some outbursts of disgust on social media.
    Rob Picheta, CNN, 18 July 2019
  • Trade a stiff upper lip for a suitcase of gripes on an unabashed misadventure with the grumpy uncle of American travel writing.
    Jen Rose Smith, Washington Post, 10 July 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stiff upper lip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: