as in tensing
to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tightening The One Big Beautiful Bill was supposed to be the economic counterweight to tariff uncertainty and a tightening labor market. —
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026 For some of us, that can mean tightening the belt a little bit and going without some things. —Bo Evans, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 This was by design, as Romvari exercised patience to make this moment count, refining her visual style and tightening her narrative approach. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 This also serves as a strategic defensive move against tightening global trade compliance rules. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026 Tasks requiring fine force control—tightening a screw or cracking an egg—still depend on high-quality tactile and physical data. —Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 The battlefield is narrowing and the timeline is tightening in a congressional redistricting contest among states seeking a partisan advantage ahead of the November midterm elections. —David A. Lieb, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 These changes come as airlines around the world are tightening rules on devices that use lithium-ion batteries, which can catch fire if damaged, overheated, exposed to water, or overcharged. —Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026 In dogs where the drainage is significant, a procedure can be done to remove part of the eyelid thereby tightening the edge of the lid. —Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026 For some of us, that can mean tightening the belt a little bit and going without some things. —Bo Evans, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 This was by design, as Romvari exercised patience to make this moment count, refining her visual style and tightening her narrative approach. —David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026 This also serves as a strategic defensive move against tightening global trade compliance rules. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026 Tasks requiring fine force control—tightening a screw or cracking an egg—still depend on high-quality tactile and physical data. —Ni Tao, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 The battlefield is narrowing and the timeline is tightening in a congressional redistricting contest among states seeking a partisan advantage ahead of the November midterm elections. —David A. Lieb, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 These changes come as airlines around the world are tightening rules on devices that use lithium-ion batteries, which can catch fire if damaged, overheated, exposed to water, or overcharged. —Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026 In dogs where the drainage is significant, a procedure can be done to remove part of the eyelid thereby tightening the edge of the lid. —Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tightening
Verb
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Limited rib mobility interferes with the ability to breathe deeply, triggering your body’s stress response, which increases muscle tensing as a guarding mechanism.— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 15 Feb. 2026
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Keeping in the same position for a long period of time, especially if cramped or uncomfortable, can also lead to muscles tensing up and feeling tight.— Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Reznik said while the San Gabriel River system and adjacent spreading grounds, stretching from Irwindale to Long Beach, work exceptionally well, capturing 90% of the local runoff that percolates into underground basins for later use, that’s not true of some other waterways in the county.— Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
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Completed in 1981 but recently updated, the five-bedroom, four-bath dwelling comes with white oak hardwood floors, wood-beam ceilings, wide arched doorways, and oversized picture windows overlooking bicoastal views stretching from Moloka’i to Lana’i.— Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tightening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/tightening. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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