| The gradient steepened, the snow was hard, and the axe was invoked. |
| No increase in speed was observed but he sensed that the drag level had increased, so he steepened the angle of dive until 0.96 appeared on the Machmeter. |
| The grade has ever steepened, till now it is forty degrees or more. |
| But more recently the yield curve has steepened by far less than similar episodes of rising growth in the past would suggest. |
| The slope had now steepened considerably, and further conversation died out in the effort of climbing. |
| The side walls were steepened and precipitous cirques were formed at the valley heads. |
