tighten up

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

The downturn in original series production has tightened up the marketplace overall. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 12 Nov. 2026

Council member Eric Bunch of the Fourth District said further review is likely needed to tighten up the rules even more. — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2026

Georgia coach Kirby Smart said that Robinson’s knee tightened up on him at some point in the first half, potentially on his interception. — Connor Riley, AJC.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Still, Rabe could stand to tighten up Brooke’s unhinged righteousness. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for tighten up

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