tighten

verb

tight·​en ˈtī-tᵊn 

tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ 

ˈtī-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make tight or tighter

intransitive verb

: to become tight or tighter

tightener

ˈtīt-nər, 

ˈtī-tᵊn-ər 

noun

see also tighten one's belt

Synonyms of tighten

• tense
• stretch

Examples of tighten in a Sentence

She tightened her hold on the handle.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Self tightened his rotation to seven players and all seven scored at least 8 points, with four starters, led by Tre White with 19 points, in double figures. —Cj Moore, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026

Yost recommends walking around your home's perimeter and tightening any loose gutter hangers and brackets to prevent ice from tearing them off. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026

Advertisement China is also considering tightening export license reviews for some medium and heavy rare earth items, according to state-run China Daily. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Jan. 2026

But when the game tightened, Purdy stood in the pocket, took the hits, and delivered. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tighten

• tighten/put the thumbscrews on
• tighten the noose
• tighten the purse strings
• tighten the screws
• tighten up

Rhymes for tighten

• brighten
• chitin
• frighten
• heighten
• lighten
• phaeton
• titan
• triton
• whiten
• enlighten
• exciton
• periphyton

Kids Definition

tighten

verb

tight·​en ˈtīt-ᵊn 

tightened; tightening ˈtīt-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become tight or tighter

tightener

-nər 

-ᵊn-ər

noun