1
a
: having no give or slack : tightly drawn
a taut rope
b
: high-strung, tense
taut nerves
2
a
: kept in proper order or condition
a taut ship
b(1)
: not loose or flabby
taut skin
(2)
: marked by economy of structure and detail
a taut story
tautly
adverb
tautness
noun
Examples of taut in a Sentence
Adjective
The rope was drawn taut.
The book is a taut thriller.
Recent Examples on the Web
Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
How Benson Boone pays tribute to rock history on new album
Boone has said that these 10 songs, which clock in at taut 30 minutes, were inspired by Bruce Springsteen.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 22 June 2025
He’s had a particularly taut tightrope to walk on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
The fly hangs on its own taut line below the mesh tent peak and simply pulls closed from inside.
—New Atlas, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for taut
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Adjective
Even a fairly young redfish is a taut torpedo of muscle—a beast of an animal, which after a few years can reach as much as nine pounds, almost too big for the shallow waters that have been its nursery.
—Boyce Upholt, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
How Benson Boone pays tribute to rock history on new album
Boone has said that these 10 songs, which clock in at taut 30 minutes, were inspired by Bruce Springsteen.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 22 June 2025
He’s had a particularly taut tightrope to walk on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
The fly hangs on its own taut line below the mesh tent peak and simply pulls closed from inside.
—New Atlas, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for taut
Cite this Entry
“Taut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taut. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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