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

Margins tightened under price compression. —Sara Payan, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026

The market is doing the Fed’s job Kevin Warsh’s argument for an ultimately lower Fed funds rate may rely on the notion that financial conditions are likely to tighten further on the long end of the yield curve—far outweighing any nips to the base rate the central bank can make. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 27 May 2026

For small business owners, the labor market is tightening in unexpected ways. —Hannah McIlree, CBS News, 27 May 2026

Desperate measures In recent years, China has tightened its grip on protests and political dissent, aided by sophisticated censorship and surveillance through facial recognition and other artificial intelligence tools. —Yoonjung Seo, CNN Money, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1727, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing tighten

• tighten one's belt
• 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