1. past tense and past participle of steep; made or became steeper in angle or slope

Examples

• The trail steepened as we climbed higher up the mountain.
• The road steepened dramatically after the bridge.
• Her breathing steepened as the hill became more challenging.
• The slope steepened near the cliff edge.
• The path had steepened so much that we needed ropes.
• The grade steepened from 5% to 15% over the next mile.