tighten up

phrasal verb

tightened up; tightening up; tightens up

: to become more strict or effective or to make (something) more strict or effective

Security around the building has tightened up recently.

They tightened up security around the building.

Examples of tighten up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Girandole, long a fixture for date nights and power breakfasts, remains the social centerpiece, but has tightened up the Parisian brasserie vibe with the help of French super-chef Alain Ducasse (it’s now called Girandole by Alain Ducasse). —Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025

Australian leaders quickly vowed to tighten up the country's laws on firearm ownership in the wake of the deadly gun attack on Jewish people at Bondi Beach on Sunday. —CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025

Considering the Dolphins allowed the Jets to return a punt 78-yards for a touchdown last week, Miami’s special teams unit could use some tightening up, especially if Elijah Campbell’s ankle/knee injury prevents him from playing. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025

Mathis said the improvements weren’t sparked by anything fancy, just tightening up the offensive line play and simplifying a few things. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for tighten up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup