TIGHTEN Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

tighten

verb

ˈtī-tᵊn

Definition of tighten

as in to tense

to draw tight tighten the straps on the backpack so that the load doesn't shift while hiking

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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 tighten The big-box retailer has also benefited from wealthier consumers’ trading down as Americans tighten their budgets. — Kayla Steinberg, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026 The organization said the changes are intended to keep its textile and leather labels compliant as the bloc tightens its restrictions on green claims. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026 The race tightened dramatically after outside political groups poured millions of dollars into advertising ahead of Tuesday’s runoff. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 In Antonioni’s film, after a woman disappears during a boating vacation, her partner and her best friend travel around looking for her, while the bond between them tightens and their grip on the threads of certainty loosens. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tighten

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tighten

Verb

The women tensed when the deputy warden of the Rostov jail, a curt, imperious man with a heavy-footed gait, walked in.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
As that handover proceeds, the excitatory signal that keeps your muscles faintly tensed all day begins to withdraw, and muscle tone drops toward the near-paralysis of deep sleep.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of tense

Verb

Ahn’s screen career stretched nearly seven decades, from his 1957 debut as a child actor through his later years as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and longtime member of the BIFF festival committee.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026
For shopper Kori Farmer, The Grocery Spot helps stretch her budget while giving her access to fresh food close to home.

— Jamal Goss, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of stretch

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tight

tighten

tightened

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“Tighten.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tighten. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tighten

verb

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