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
And if the defense tightens up, maybe the pitchers can relax a whole little bit.
—
Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
The nine episode run is probably too long, and Dept. Q could have benefited from tightening up the pacing and bringing us some closure a little earlier on.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Our out-of-system pin hitting got tightened up with Derek and Broden (Corona).
—Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
The conversation veered into an assessment of how much is put on an NFL quarterback and how many obstacles appear — especially in the postseason, when games tighten up and every play can feel monumental.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
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Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
The nine episode run is probably too long, and Dept. Q could have benefited from tightening up the pacing and bringing us some closure a little earlier on.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Our out-of-system pin hitting got tightened up with Derek and Broden (Corona).
—Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025
The conversation veered into an assessment of how much is put on an NFL quarterback and how many obstacles appear — especially in the postseason, when games tighten up and every play can feel monumental.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tighten up
Cite this Entry
“Tighten up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tighten%20up. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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